Resolve Paternity Questions Before the New Tax Year

Paternity Questions Before the New Tax Year
Picture of Reviewed By:  <a href="/author/lawrence-reese/" style="color:#f90">Lawrence Reese</a>

Reviewed By: Lawrence Reese

Director of Operations at:  ChoiceDNA

As tax season approaches, everyone is concerned about deadlines, maximizing credits, minimizing taxable income, and the paperwork. But the most important and sensitive issue is often overlooked: paternity confirmation. If you have not resolved your paternity disputes, this might affect your custody arrangements, child support settlements, and most importantly, your tax filing status. 

A paternity test before tax season will not only reduce emotional stress but also help you with claiming child tax credits and avoid IRS penalties. Whether you are preparing for tax filing or planning, resolving paternity with a reliable DNA paternity test can save you from stress and is important for family financial planning. 

Why does a paternity test before tax season matter?

Paternity questions often cause confusion and conflict, especially when they involve child custody and tax credits. Doing a paternity test before tax season provides early clarity, peace of mind, and ensures accurate paternity is established before any financial decision. 

A legal DNA paternity test helps parents with:

  • Accurate tax filing and staying compliant with IRS rules.
  • Avoid conflicts about who can claim the child as a dependent for tax credits.
  • Avoid delays or stressful audits.
  • Child custody and child support issues. 

At Choice DNA, we have seen many families come to us seeking answers late in the year. We have helped hundreds of them take control of their finances. Seeking help early and finding out paternity before the holidays can bring peace of mind and reduce stress and risk.

How are custody, paternity, and tax filing connected?

When child custody arrangements are unclear, tax filing and claiming tax credits can become complicated. Custody paternity tax filing issues often arise when more than one person is claiming the same child as a dependent. This also happens when legal paternity has not been established. 

Under IRS rules, legal custodial parents may claim the child as a dependent. However, when paternity is not confirmed, a DNA paternity test is the only way to resolve those issues. The results will support your child support claim and can reduce conflicts during tax season. 

Can DNA prove a dependent to the IRS?

A DNA test does not directly determine tax credits or liabilities, but it can affect the legal parentage of who can claim the child as a dependent. Having a dependent child means that you can claim the tax exemption, which will be calculated from your gross income before the taxable income is calculated. 

In other words, we can say that if you have a dependent, this will reduce the federal taxes that your employer withheld from your paycheck. However, you must have a qualifying child as a dependent under the Trump Child Tax Credit Eligibility Rules. 

Trump Child Tax Credit Eligibility Rules

During the Trump administration, the child tax credit rules were expanded, making paternity and dependent status more important. Who qualifies for the child tax credit? To claim the child tax credit, you must prove that the child is:

  • Biologically related to you
  • Lived with you for more than half of the years 
  • A US citizen or resident
  • Has a social security number 
  • Under age 17 at the end of the tax year

Does a paternity test affect the child tax credit?

Absolutely. If you are not on the child’s birth certificate as the guardian/parent, the IRS will ask you to provide the paternity proof before allowing you to claim the child tax credits. As tax laws evolve, programs such as Trump’s child tax credit eligibility rules, establishing paternity accurately, and determining who can claim the child as a dependent have become essential.

If you have not resolved the paternity conflicts before the tax season:

  • Child credits can be delayed or denied
  • Both parents can face IRS penalties 
  • IRS can withhold the tax refunds 
  • You may have to face IRS audits

Resolving paternity disputes will ensure the correct parent claims the child’s tax credits and avoid tax complications. Choice DNA has been assisting families with expert support and reliable paternity test results.

Why families trust Choice DNA?

At Choice DNA, we understand that a paternity test is not just a test; it brings clarity and peace of mind and supports family financial decisions. We provide:

  • Accurate and confidential DNA test results
  • Professional support and guidance 
  • Services for your legal and personal needs

With early paternity clarity, families can plan confidently, protect their income, and maximize their credits.

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Take control of your finances before the new tax season!

Unanswered paternity questions can bring a lot of financial and emotional stress. Don’t let these uncertainties affect your taxes and benefits. Establish paternity early for smoother tax filing and maximize your refunds. Contact Choice DNA today to schedule your confidential DNA paternity test.

Director of Operations at :  ChoiceDNA

Lawrence Reese is the Director of Operations at Choice DNA Laboratory, based in Fort Worth, Texas. He’s in charge of day-to-day operations, quality standards, and the smooth availability of DNA testing services nationwide.

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