If head of household pays all bills and 90% of everything else...

[guywithquestions]

Soo.. ive come across a dilemma. My gf is claiming that i owe her half of my hard earned income tax wages when she lives with me and our daughter, but she has hardly had any income at all and ive spent atleast 5 times the amount that she has towards caring for our child... what do i do in this situation? Do i legally have to give her half of my income tax because of this? I have been paying her student debt, all of rent, and her massive credit card debt for over a year and i am confused on if i would legally have to give her the money from the child credit claims... any advice would be very much appreciated..i feel like im being used.

 

[Zigner]

In the United States the answer is no. You don't have to give her anything

 

[LdiJ]

Soo.. ive come across a dilemma. My gf is claiming that i owe her half of my hard earned income tax wages when she lives with me and our daughter, but she has hardly had any income at all and ive spent atleast 5 times the amount that she has towards caring for our child... what do i do in this situation? Do i legally have to give her half of my income tax because of this? I have been paying her student debt, all of rent, and her massive credit card debt for over a year and i am confused on if i would legally have to give her the money from the child credit claims... any advice would be very much appreciated..i feel like im being used.

I assume that you mean 1/2 of your tax refund, rather than your income tax? Legally, if you qualify to claim the child, no there is no legal obligation to share the refund with her. However, parents who live in the same household do often share their tax refunds and that could be why she thinks that you are obligated to do so.

 

[Zigner]

I assume that you mean 1/2 of your tax refund, rather than your income tax? Legally, if you qualify to claim the child, no there is no legal obligation to share the refund with her. However, parents who live in the same household do often share their tax refunds and that could be why she thinks that you are obligated to do so.

There is no reason to ascribe a motive, nor is there a reason to suggest anything about the frequency of parents living in the same house sharing their tax refund.

 

[paddywakk]

You aren't legally obligated to give her any of your refund, or pay her student loans for her, or pay her credit card bills. I have never known unmarried couples living together with a common child to split refunds. However, you will need to decide what you think is best to do.

 

[guywithquestions]

Thanks for the input guys, i think i may just take 1/4 of my refund and subtract it by all of the payments i have been making on her debts and send her on her way.

 

[LdiJ]

There is no reason to ascribe a motive, nor is there a reason to suggest anything about the frequency of parents living in the same house sharing their tax refund.

You misinterpreted what I said:

OP, I made that comment because its possible that she is not lying to you intentionally. She may really believe that you are supposed to share the refund with her. Its not uncommon for people to believe that.

 

[Zigner]

You clearly misinterpreted what I said:

OP, I made that comment because its possible that she is not lying to you intentionally. She may really believe that you are supposed to share the refund with her.

Yep, no argument there.

Its not uncommon for people to believe that.

I don't believe you have enough actual data to accurately state whether this is common or not. I understand that you are speaking anecdotally, so I'll leave it at that

 

[LdiJ]

Did that just last weekend my my grandkiddo - thanks for the suggestion though
Did I claim to be?
Yep, no argument there. I don't believe you have enough actual data to accurately state whether this is common or not. I understand that you are speaking anecdotally, so I'll leave it at that

I sit across the desk from about 600 clients a year while they are doing their tax returns, and listen to them discuss the refunds. A goodly chunk of them are parents living together, and believe me, they discuss the refunds and how they intend to use/share them in front of me.

 

[Zigner]

I sit across the desk from about 600 clients a year while they are doing their tax returns, and listen to them discuss the refunds. A goodly chunk of them are parents living together, and believe me, they discuss the refunds and how they intend to use/share them in front of me.

SMH
That doesn't mean they believe that they're "supposed to share the refund". In fact, that sounds a lot more like they agree to share their refund.

 

[xylene]

While everyone is mad at LJDI... it sure seems like we are missing the point central to the OPs actual question...

Yes. You are being used.

Stop being played.

 

[LdiJ]

SMH
That doesn't mean they believe that they're "supposed to share the refund". In fact, that sounds a lot more like they agree to share their refund.

That was the whole point I was making to the OP. I told him he didn't have to share the refund and I told him that she might not have intentionally lied to him, she might have really believed that her was supposed to share the refund, because so many parents do share it.

 

[Ohiogal]

That was the whole point I was making to the OP. I told him he didn't have to share the refund and I told him that she might not have intentionally lied to him, she might have really believed that her was supposed to share the refund, because so many parents do share it.

You have no reason to believe that and are showing your mom bias again.

 

[bcr229]

Your gf is not your wife and she has no business knowing what's in your tax return unless she needs a copy to file a child support order.

If your taxes are not complicated (one job, standard deduction, not a lot of investment income or self-employment income, etc.) then adjust your withholding so that you owe a little bit or get a very small refund next year.

I'd also suggest that you don't marry her or have any more kids with her, unless you like big legal bills.

 

[Taxing Matters]

Do i legally have to give her half of my income tax because of this?

No. You are not married to her and she has no enforceable claim on your tax refund absent a valid contract or a court child support order that requires you provide her some part of your refund.

any advice would be very much appreciated..i feel like im being used.

She is certainly benefiting a lot by having you pay for basically all her bills. Moreover, if she has massive credit card debt that may be a sign that she is not very good at financial matters. She may indeed just be using you for the money. Even if that is not her intent, if she is bad at financial matters that may well be a huge burden on you in the future, especially if you ever marry her. Don't let love blind you to those troubles. Financial problems rank at the top or near the top of most every list of why marriages fail. If she's a mess financially you may be best off finding some other person to share your life with that doesn't have that baggage.