One thing nobody's mentioned - you should check if you qualify as "Head of Household" instead of married filing separately. If you: 1) Were separated from your spouse for last 6 months of 2024 2) Paid more than half the cost of keeping up your home 3) Had a "qualifying person" (like your kids) living with you for more than half the year 4) Will file a separate return from your spouse Then HOH status gives you a bigger standard deduction ($20,800 vs $13,850) and better tax rates than married filing separately. Since your kids lived with you 7 months, they could qualify you for this better filing status!

@Chloe Green - I went through a very similar situation during my divorce. Here are the key points that helped me navigate this: **Filing Status**: Since you were still legally married on December 31, 2024, you must choose between "married filing jointly" or "married filing separately." You cannot file as single or head of household without a legal separation decree. **Dependents**: The IRS uses the "residency test" - whoever the children lived with for more than half the year (more than 183 days) generally gets to claim them. Since your kids lived with you for 7 months before moving to their dad's, you likely have the stronger claim. However, make sure there's no existing court order from your first marriage that gives their biological father the right to claim them. **Joint vs. Separate**: Run the numbers both ways! Joint filing usually saves money due to better tax brackets and higher standard deduction, but if you're concerned about your husband's tax compliance or want to limit your liability, separate filing might be worth the extra tax cost for peace of mind. **Documentation**: Keep detailed records of where the kids lived each night in 2024, plus receipts for their support (housing, food, clothes, medical, etc.). If their father tries to claim them too, you'll need this documentation. Consider consulting a tax professional for your specific situation - the potential savings from getting this right could be substantial with two dependents involved.

Has anyone dealt with the situation where a parent gets too much Social Security to qualify as a dependent? My dad gets about $2,300/month and I heard there's a gross income limit.

Based on your situation, it sounds like you have a strong case for claiming your mom as a dependent! Since you're covering rent ($1,650/month) and utilities ($300/month), that's already $23,400 annually just in housing costs. Add groceries on top of that, and you're definitely providing more than half her total support. The key thing with her Social Security is that it likely won't count against the gross income limit since she's probably not required to file a tax return. Social Security benefits are only counted toward the $5,150 gross income test if she has enough other income to require filing a return. Since her $1,875/month Social Security ($22,500/year) is her only income and she's using it for personal expenses rather than basic living costs, you should be good to claim her. Plus, as others mentioned, this could qualify you for head of household status which would save you significant money on taxes! I'd recommend keeping detailed records of all the expenses you pay for her throughout the year - rent receipts, utility bills, grocery receipts - just in case the IRS ever asks for documentation.

They might also ask about prior year returns if there's any discrepancy or if you're dealing with multiple tax years. Sometimes they'll verify your employer name from your W-2 or ask about dependents if you claimed any. Pro tip: have a pen ready to write down reference numbers and the rep's name/ID number - you'll need those if you have to call back later. Good luck getting through! 📞

Been through this recently and can confirm what others are saying. They'll definitely ask for your SSN, full name, date of birth, and address from your most recent return. The AGI (Adjusted Gross Income) from your last filing is a big one - they almost always ask for that. If you're married, they might ask about your spouse's info too. Also bring any notices or letters you've received from the IRS if that's what you're calling about. The whole verification usually takes 3-5 minutes once you actually get through to someone. Just stay calm and speak clearly - the reps are generally pretty patient if you need a second to find something in your paperwork.

Has anyone tried Cash App Taxes? I heard they're completely free for both federal AND state. My friend said they got a bigger refund there than TurboTax too?

Just to add another perspective - I've been doing this comparison shopping for years and it's definitely worth it! One thing I learned the hard way is to make sure you're entering your information exactly the same way across all platforms. Sometimes a small difference in how you categorize something (like whether certain expenses go in one field vs another) can create artificial differences in your refund calculation. Also, if you do find significant differences between platforms, don't just go with the highest refund automatically. Take a closer look at what's different - sometimes the higher refund comes from a more aggressive interpretation of tax rules that might not hold up if you ever get audited. The sweet spot is finding legitimate deductions you missed, not wishful thinking about what might qualify. Good luck with your comparison shopping! With just W2 income and no major complications, you should have plenty of good free options to choose from.

Make sure you're setting aside money for taxes regularly! I learned this the hard way. First year as a 1099 bartender I didn't save anything and got hit with a $3800 tax bill I couldn't pay. Ended up on a payment plan with the IRS which added fees and interest. Now I automatically transfer 25% of all my cash into a separate "tax" savings account each time I deposit my tips. Come tax time, I usually have a little extra which becomes a nice bonus.

Just wanted to add some practical advice based on your situation. Since you're dealing with cash payments and potential misclassification, here are a few immediate steps: 1. Start documenting EVERYTHING now - not just tips, but your work schedule, who sets it, whether you can refuse shifts, if you use their equipment, etc. This documentation will be crucial if you decide to challenge the contractor classification. 2. For the withholding question - yes, you can absolutely increase withholding on your W-4 at your main job. Use the IRS withholding calculator online to get a better estimate than guessing. Input both your W-2 job income and estimated contractor income. 3. Consider opening a business checking account for your restaurant income, even if it's just a simple one. Mixing business and personal funds can create headaches during tax season, and having separate accounts makes record-keeping much cleaner. 4. Don't wait until year-end to address this. If you're earning significant money as a "contractor," you might need to make quarterly estimated payments to avoid underpayment penalties, especially since your main job withholding was calculated before you had this second income. The misclassification issue others mentioned is real - most servers are legally employees, not contractors. But document everything first before making any moves.