I have question. I am divorced, have two kids. They live abroad, but I am providing almost everything for them. For tax purposes are they dependent children for me? What the prove I have to provide to the tax authorities, that they are? Thanks for ansvers

Presumably you have some sort of court order for these payments. Send the tax people a copy. ..

Do the tax office know about your children? Birth certificates? Court orders?

Did you know that you can claim child allowance for your own natural children even if they live abroad? You need co-operation from your wife if she lives in Europe, as they don't want to pay twice.

You should claim through your Swiss employer. You need to search this forum for more information.

There is no court orders, but I do it by myself, I do not need court orders to fully support my kids. The cantonal authorities does know about my children, some time ago they were registered in the school here. But when I divorced, they went back to country of origin of my ex. I can provide a birth certificates. About child allowances I will ask.

Okost you have not completed any info about yourself, but were you from the UK for example you would need a court order to claim child maintenance otherwise anyone could claim anything they fancied.

It's not about a court forcing you as a reluctant parent, but some sort of official document that can be used in such tax claims for willing parents...

Are you sure there is nothing written in your divorce papers about paying for your children?

You need to show these to the tax office, otherwise you cannot claim the tax back on the money you send to your wife.

Surely you must understand that you need proof- otherwise everybody would do this! Hope you find a way to make if official and get tax relief.

Hi okost,

For tax purposes I think your position will not be recognised as the children do not reside in Swizterland, however, this can depend on which Canton you live in. You are best to ask the tax office direct.

If they do not recognise you have children you can offset any maintenance against your tax bill annually by filing a tax return. I just provide a copy of the bank transfers to my ex as proof of payment, just remember that when you do a bank transfer to reference it as maintenance.

As for the child benefit this can be a bit of a minefield, does your ex work, if so she has the right to claim child allowance in the country she is employed in and if the child benefit in that country is lower than Switzerland you get to claim the difference between that rate and the rate here. If she does not work you get to claim the entire amount here under the EU priority payment rulings. Good luck with this one as it takes for ever to sort.

Thanks for detailed ansver. That was in fact what I wanted know. And yeah, I am not gona to ask child allowances. My interest was only regrading what kind of proof I have to provide to tax authorities

In Basel-Land I had to pay tax as a single person until my daughter arrived.
When my daughter finally moved here and got registered at the Gemeinde then my source tax changed to a single with one kid rate (kid's Bewilligung presented and copied to HR).

my husband supports two children in Canada and we can fully deduct those payments providing the according court orders (i.e. we provided them with the first tax report and they still accept our deductions) or even just handing in copies of our payments to the maintenance enforcement program.

But you will not receive child allowance for children living abroad, that changed (unfortunately).