Divorced, non custodial and # of dependents

[Greenmtman]

<p>My situation is divorced, remarried. 2 kids from first marriage, 1 child from 2nd marriage and 1 step daughter. My oldest child and step daughter are both Seniors in HS. My 2 kids live with their mom more than with me. I directly pay mortgage, real estate taxes and house insurance in lieu of child support and I get to claim both kids on my tax return. So the total # of exemptions on my tax return are 6. My ex-wife is filing out the FASFA form as the kids live there the most - I only have the every other weekend and some vacation deal. My current wife is filling out the FASFA form for her daughter. It looks like we are able to say via tax exemptions that we have 4 children and 2 would be in college. I believe the forms force you to have a match between what you say your exemptions are and # of kids in household. So the questions are: Do I put my 2 kids in our household even though their mom is also doing a FASFA form for them too? Away from the FASFA form, is their any advantage/disadvantage to which parent claims a child on their tax form? Ex wife is not remarried and makes allot less than I do.</p>

[sk8rmom]

<p>No, FAFSA will not force you to match your exemptions to the # in household. The FAFSA instructions state:</p>

<p>

72. Number in parents’ household. Enter the number of family members in your parents‘ household.
    The following persons are included in your parents‘ household size:
     You (the student), even if you do not live with your parents.
     Your parents (the ones whose information is reported on the FAFSA).
     Your parents’ other children, if your parents will provide more than half of their support from July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013 or if the other children could answer ―No‖ to every question in Questions 45-57.
     Your parents’ unborn child, if that child will be born before July 1, 2013 and your parents will provide more than half of the child‘s support from the projected date of birth through the end of the 2012-2013 award year (June 30, 2013). (If there is a medical determination of a multiple birth, then all expected children can be included.)
     Other people (including your children and/or your unborn child due before July 1, 2013), if they live with and receive more than half of their support from your parents at the time of application and will continue to receive that support from July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013.
    To determine whether to include children in the household size, the ―support‖ test is used (rather than a residency requirement) because there may be situations in which a parent supports a child who does not live with the parent, especially in cases where the parent is divorced or separated. In such cases, the parent who provides more than half of the child‘s support may claim the child in his or her household size. It does not matter which parent claims the child as a dependent for tax purposes. If your parent receives benefits (such as Social Security or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families [TANF] payments) in the child‘s name, these benefits must be counted as parental support to the child.
    Support includes money, gifts, loans, housing, food, clothes, car payments or expenses, medical and dental care, and payment of school costs.

</p>

<p><a href=“http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/siteresources/2012-13CTF.pdf[/url]”>http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/siteresources/2012-13CTF.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;