Union dues a factor in a divorce proceeding
Elizabeth A. v Hector S., NYS Supreme Court, Judge Bednar, [Not selected for publication in the Official Reports]
Would you think that union dues could be a factor in a divorce proceeding? It was in the case of Elizabeth A. v Hector S.
Hector was told that he had to pay $157.00 bi-weekly as child support. He objected, contending that the hearing examiner had miscalculated his adjusted gross income by neglecting to deduct his union dues from his gross income.
Judge Bednar ruled the hearing officer's calculations were correct. While the federal Internal Revenue Code allows a taxpayer to deduct union dues as a "miscellaneous itemized deduction," the Family Court Act [FCA] does not. Although FCA allows a limited number of exclusions from income when determining child support, union dues is not one of the enumerated deductions allowed by the Act in determining a parent's child support obligations.
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