Keeping Good Records for Taxes & FAFSA

Good records turn support into leverage at tax time and on financial-aid forms. A shoebox of receipts does the opposite.

What to keep

Hold on to court orders, SDU payment histories, reimbursement ledgers with EOBs and receipts, childcare contracts, insurance proof, and parenting-time calendars — plus tax items (W-2s, 1099s, childcare statements, 1095 forms) and, for FAFSA, proof of who paid support and where the student lived.

Two rules that trip people up

Child support received is not taxable income, and payments made are not deductible. The order decides which parent claims the dependent, and a noncustodial parent claiming the child needs IRS Form 8332. For FAFSA, the "custodial parent" is the one the student lived with most during the prior 12 months — which is not the same as who claims the tax dependent.

Stay organized

Use labeled cloud folders (Orders, SDU Statements, Reimbursements, Taxes, FAFSA), name files with dates and vendors ("2025-02-EOB-Orthodontics-$220.pdf"), and reconcile your ledger against SDU postings each quarter.

Ready to collect what you're owed? A Houston child support lawyer at Sinkin Law Firm can pursue every dollar — on collection cases, you don't pay our fees.