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Glad to hear an update. Still wishing and hoping. I'm right in that sweet spot where I'm $2k over the income limit for most income units. This is one of the few buildings I qualify for. (It is me and a 5-year-old in the apartment.)
I also am incensed by the fact that they double-dip with child support. If you receive child support, you have to count it in your income calculations. But if you pay child support, you don't get to deduct it.
If I could deduct the child support I pay (we have joint custody and joint residential custody, but I still pay, and that's fine) I would qualify for so many more buildings.
Glad to hear an update. Still wishing and hoping. I'm right in that sweet spot where I'm $2k over the income limit for most income units. This is one of the few buildings I qualify for. (It is me and a 5-year-old in the apartment.)
I also am incensed by the fact that they double-dip with child support. If you receive child support, you have to count it in your income calculations. But if you pay child support, you don't get to deduct it.
If I could deduct the child support I pay (we have joint custody and joint residential custody, but I still pay, and that's fine) I would qualify for so many more buildings.
IIRC child support was never tax deductible. How could it be so? You don't get to deduct money you spend say on new clothing for your kid regardless of who has custody.
That being said yes, there are various deductions and credits related to children, but that is another matter.
Currently for example a qualifying child must live with someone for more than one half year in order to be claimed as a dependent. Maybe opening up that a bit to have something like a "and or providing "X" amount of financial support".
It isn't about tax-deductible or not, it is an entirely different calculation done by the city for affordable housing income qualifications.
For both the IRS and NYS, I do not remove child support from my income, and my ex does not add it to hers. IRS and NYS are "single-dipping" by only taxing me for the income.
However, for affordable housing programs, my ex is required to add the child support to her income (hurting her income calculations) and I do not remove child support from mine (also hurting my income calculations). The city is "double-dipping" by counting the child support in both of our calculations. I'm sure I'm doing a bad job of explaining.
For example:
Let's say I make $100k and my ex makes $50k. I pay my ex $10k in child support.
The total is $150k as far as IRS or NYS is concerned.
But the city calculates my income as $100k and ex's income as $60k. Total $160k. They count the $10k in both of our households. I've confirmed this with the city.
It should be either $100k/$50k or $90k/$60k. Instead, it is making both of us have a harder time to hit the income cutoffs. Oh well...
Last month I received an email that I no longer qualify because I JUST received a promotion putting me over the income max by $1800 Good luck for everyone else!!!
It isn't about tax-deductible or not, it is an entirely different calculation done by the city for affordable housing income qualifications.
For both the IRS and NYS, I do not remove child support from my income, and my ex does not add it to hers. IRS and NYS are "single-dipping" by only taxing me for the income.
However, for affordable housing programs, my ex is required to add the child support to her income (hurting her income calculations) and I do not remove child support from mine (also hurting my income calculations). The city is "double-dipping" by counting the child support in both of our calculations. I'm sure I'm doing a bad job of explaining.
For example:
Let's say I make $100k and my ex makes $50k. I pay my ex $10k in child support.
The total is $150k as far as IRS or NYS is concerned.
But the city calculates my income as $100k and ex's income as $60k. Total $160k. They count the $10k in both of our households. I've confirmed this with the city.
It should be either $100k/$50k or $90k/$60k. Instead, it is making both of us have a harder time to hit the income cutoffs. Oh well...
Do you not understand difference between earned and unearned income?
IRS and local tax authorities are concerned with *all* income, earned and unearned. That is what a household brought in for tax period and makes up gross income.
Welfare or whatever programs are not tax returns. There government or whoever is concerned with total household income period. Your baby's mother receives ten large every year for "child support". What she does with that money is largely her own business, meaning she has access to those funds to pay for everything from housing to food; all of which by the way your child requires.
Basically far as IRS and local tax authorities are concerned child support has no affect on taxes, and is outside of their laws. Payor does not get any deduction, and recipient does not pay taxes on sums received.
Only way gifts or whatever reduce your income (adjusted gross income) is via tax code. So if you want your $100k dropped down to $90k, then lobby Congress and or Albany for a huge child support tax credit and or some other sort of deduction. Otherwise far as tax authorities are concerned you made $100k and "give me my money".
Do you not understand difference between earned and unearned income?
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Hey! We are in agreement about that. I stated that the affordable housing program *does not* use the same calculations as the IRS/NYS tax code. So I'm not sure why we are talking past each other on this one.
I agree 100% with how my taxes are calculated. I do not agree with how the affordable housing program calculates income for qualification for housing.
The program does not look at your tax returns to determine your eligibility. Any pre-tax deductions you may qualify for do not apply. So your examples about reducing adjusted gross income has no bearing at all on the affordable housing program.
My opinion is simply that the affordable housing program's income calculations are unfair because the program (unlike the IRS) double counts. The affordable housing programs are double-dipping and penalizing my ex-wife and me. Our combined income is $150k ($100k me and $50k her).
Since I pay her $10k child support, the affordable housing programs consider my income $100k, but also require her to include child support as income for a total of $60k. They are counting the $10k *twice*. When it should either be considered *my* $10k or *her* $10k. We don't *both* have that $10k in income to spend on rent.
I don't think I'm intelligent enough to explain it any other way but that's my two cents! Thanks for the response!
(I also appreciate the little "meaning she has access to those funds to pay for everything from housing to food; all of which by the way your child requires" comment. Funny weird judgemental virtue-signaling there. Not at all related at all to the discussion of affordable housing, and somehow implies I resent the child support or something. Even though I have my son 50% or the time and pay for school and healthcare, I wish I could give her 4x what I currently do. She deserves it! And we alternate years claiming our son as the dependent when it comes to IRS. They have a form for that.)
Hey! We are in agreement about that. I stated that the affordable housing program *does not* use the same calculations as the IRS/NYS tax code. So I'm not sure why we are talking past each other on this one.
I agree 100% with how my taxes are calculated. I do not agree with how the affordable housing program calculates income for qualification for housing.
The program does not look at your tax returns to determine your eligibility. Any pre-tax deductions you may qualify for do not apply. So your examples about reducing adjusted gross income has no bearing at all on the affordable housing program.
My opinion is simply that the affordable housing program's income calculations are unfair because the program (unlike the IRS) double counts. The affordable housing programs are double-dipping and penalizing my ex-wife and me. Our combined income is $150k ($100k me and $50k her).
Since I pay her $10k child support, the affordable housing programs consider my income $100k, but also require her to include child support as income for a total of $60k. They are counting the $10k *twice*. When it should either be considered *my* $10k or *her* $10k. We don't *both* have that $10k in income to spend on rent.
I don't think I'm intelligent enough to explain it any other way but that's my two cents! Thanks for the response!
(I also appreciate the little "meaning she has access to those funds to pay for everything from housing to food; all of which by the way your child requires" comment. Funny weird judgemental virtue-signaling there. Not at all related at all to the discussion of affordable housing, and somehow implies I resent the child support or something. Even though I have my son 50% or the time and pay for school and healthcare, I wish I could give her 4x what I currently do. She deserves it! And we alternate years claiming our son as the dependent when it comes to IRS. They have a form for that.)
You did not understand purpose and content of my post.
Federal government does not care who pays child support or why, nor does it want to get involved. Funds paid are neither deductible (from person earned), nor counted as income (recipient).
Second your former spouse is just that; she is *NOT* part of your tax returns/household so why would HPD or any thing or one else give you a discount off income (earned and unearned), more so since alimony is no longer deductible on federal returns. Only reason you come into this equation is due to providing funds (child support). But if your former spouse got that money from any other source (parents, family members, trust, gifts, etc...) they wouldn't be able to deduct it either under most circumstances depending upon how structured.
Whether some people like hearing this or not; these affordable housing "lotteries" are a form of welfare. That is persons are receiving (be it indirectly) funding for housing via sources not their own. As such government has an obligation to ensure a level playing field.
HPD, developers and landlords have nothing to do with tax laws/policy; all that befronts them is total household income available to pay rent. Tax situation is not part of their job.
I just got an email saying they were setting up phone interviews/collecting documents again. Anyone else who was on this thread have the same? I’m an 18xx log number.
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Good luck for everyone else!!!
