why is child support not counted as income and paying it counted as expense?

[LESLIEONE1]

Can you explain why I pay child support and it is not counted as an expense to me or as income to my ex, but alimony is?

[socrateaser]

>Can you explain why I pay child support and it is not counted
>as an expense to me or as income to my ex, but alimony is?

Because the U.S. Congress enacted legislation to make it so. I'm not being facetious, this is one of those public policy decisions that is the way it is "because," the government thinks it's a good idea, and the People have never told the government otherwise.

So, while I could wax at length about the legal theory of child and spousal support, it wouldn't really help, because the reality is that it is the way it is because it is, and if you don't like it, then you need to tell your Congressional representatives and senators that if they don't change the law, that you will vote against them until someone is elected who will change it.

But, I wouldn't hold my breath, because the chances of it being changed are almost non-existent. It's one of those issues where there are always just about the same number of people on the benefiting end as on the burdened end. And with a 50/50 split on an issue, no elected official will bother thinking about it, because whichever he/she sides, there's no increase/decrease in votes.