Alimony as Tax Deduction question

[DSH]

Hello,

As part of the official agreement filed with the court, I'm order to pay down the credit cards in her name as "lump sum alimony". Although this is probably more of a tax attorney question, I was wondering if you knew whether I could claim the amount I've been paying online as alimony which would make it tax deductible correct? The complication i can foresee is that I log into her account and pay certain amounts each month for each credit card but am not paying her directly.

I literally log onto her Chase account and pay $300/mo as one example-does that count as alimony that is tax deductible since it is court ordered and listed in the agreement as such?

If so, I want to inform her to file the total amount as taxable income on her part. Thanks in advance!
-DSH

[Attorney Howard Iken]

My opinion is no. There are two different flavors of lump sum - as support or as Equitable distribution. Yours sounds like equitable distribution. Of course it also depends on a reading of the agreement.