# Interest for back child support deductible?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-for-back-child-support-deductible/287480>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 30, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-for-back-child-support-deductible/287480 "2005-01-30T21:37:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![lektrikpuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/47e85d/32.png) [@lektrikpuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lektrikpuke)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-for-back-child-support-deductible/287480/1 "2005-01-30T21:37:02Z")

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I know that child support is not deductible, but is the interest paid on back child support deductible for federal or state taxes?

Thanks always for your support. 🙂

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**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-for-back-child-support-deductible/287480/2 "2005-01-30T21:40:13Z")

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> [@lektrikpuke](#):
>
> I know that child support is not deductible, but is the interest paid on back child support deductible for federal or state taxes?
> 
> Thanks always for your support. 🙂

What interest?

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**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-for-back-child-support-deductible/287480/3 "2005-01-30T21:44:01Z")

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> [@Reeder](#):
>
> What interest?

If you don’t pay court-ordered child support, and they eventually catch up with you and make you pay up, you have to pay the arrearage, plus interest.

I’ll leave the OP’s question to someone who knows for sure, but my immediate instinct is to say, “No,” since you can’t deduct the interest on most of your debts, other than your mortgage.

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**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-for-back-child-support-deductible/287480/4 "2005-01-30T22:20:00Z")

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Heh, I kept reading it as black child support, and was wondering what the hell interest on black child support had to do with anything? :dubious:

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**Author:** ![lektrikpuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/47e85d/32.png) [@lektrikpuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lektrikpuke)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-for-back-child-support-deductible/287480/5 "2005-01-30T22:22:24Z")

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Funny, very funny. 🙂

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-for-back-child-support-deductible/287480/6 "2005-01-30T23:20:04Z")

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No it’s not.

[WHAT INTEREST PAYMENTS ARE DEDUCTIBLE?](http://law.freeadvice.com/tax_law/income_tax_law/interest_payments_deductable.htm)

Specifically

> [@](#):
>
> Personal interest is also disallowed. Personal interest is defined as all interest except trade or business interest, investment interest, qualified residence interest (discussed in the following paragraph) and interest taken into account as part of the passive activity rules. This is why it might appear that the exceptions are consuming the rule

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**Author:** ![lektrikpuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/47e85d/32.png) [@lektrikpuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lektrikpuke)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-for-back-child-support-deductible/287480/7 "2005-01-31T06:13:45Z")

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Yes (in my opinion) it is funny. To the OP, though, the answer appears to be ‘no,’ as this appears to be personal interest.

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-for-back-child-support-deductible/287480/8 "2005-01-31T06:47:21Z")

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> [@lektrikpuke](#):
>
> Yes (in my opinion) it is funny. To the OP, though, the answer appears to be ‘no,’ as this appears to be personal interest.
> 
> Thanks.

“No it’s not”" was the direct answer to your OP question, not a comment on the humor of the “black child support” comment.