For a Pennsylvania couple seeking the most affordable divorce possible, uncontested divorce is usually the best option. It involves coming to an agreement on the core issues in the divorce.

Many couples who chose uncontested divorce do so because they do not have children and/or they do not have substantial assets together. However, having children or assets together does not mean that uncontested divorce is unavailable. Rather, it means that the couple will need to reach an agreement on more issues, including child custody, child support, alimony, and property division.

These divorce issues can have tax implications. Many of our readers are approaching tax day and are interested in how divorce can influence taxes. Therefore, we would like to share some basic information about how divorce and taxes work together.

First, if your divorce was final after December 31 of last year, you will be considered as married for the 2010 tax year. Conversely, if you were divorced at any time last year, you will not be able to file as a married person.

Additionally, the difference between child support and alimony can be important at tax time. At first glance, alimony and child support are very similar. Each is a type of payment from one ex-spouse to the other. However, the spouse paying alimony is able to deduct alimony payments from his or her income if certain conditions are met, while the spouse receiving alimony typically must pay taxes on the alimony received. Generally, alimony must be made under the terms of a written divorce decree or agreement, and the ex-spouses cannot still be living together in order for alimony to be deductible by the payer.

Alimony is considered an above-the-line deduction. This means the paying spouse can take an alimony deduction even if he or she does not itemize deductions. However, in order for alimony to be deductible, it cannot be made for the purposes of child support.

Unlike alimony, child support is considered to be tax neutral. This means that the paying spouse generally cannot take a deduction for child support, and the receiving spouse typically is not required to pay taxes on child support received.

These are just a few examples of how divorce can influence taxes. If you have questions about how divorce can affect taxes in your situation, an experienced attorney can help you understand your legal options.

Source: Time, "Divorce and Taxes: Five Things You Need to Know," Kelly Phillips Erb, 4/6/2011