Remember that filing status affects your tax bracket, standard deduction, and eligibility for certain credits. Head of Household gets you a larger standard deduction ($20,800 for 2024) compared to Single ($13,850). Also impacts your tax brackets in a favorable way. With your income around $58k, the difference could be significant. Might be worth paying a tax pro for a consultation to run the numbers both ways before deciding.

@Sean Kelly, based on what you've described, you'll likely need to file as Single for 2024 since your children lived with you for less than half the year (5 months vs 7 months with your ex). However, there might be some options worth exploring with your ex-spouse. Since you mentioned you're both civil and want to maximize your overall refunds, I'd suggest looking into an alternating arrangement like @Carmen Ruiz mentioned. You could work out an agreement where one of you claims both children and files as Head of Household each year, then switch the following year. This would require your ex to sign Form 8332 in the years when you claim the kids. Another option is to see if your divorce decree or custody agreement has any specific language about tax filing status - sometimes there are clauses that can affect who's considered the custodial parent for tax purposes, regardless of actual time spent. Given the potential savings (@Andre Lefebvre is right about that $7,000 difference in standard deduction), it might be worth consulting with a tax professional or using one of the AI services others mentioned to analyze your specific documents and situation. The difference in tax benefits between Single and Head of Household on a $58k income could be substantial.

The rules r different if shes married btw just fyi

dont forget to claim that sweet sweet american opportunity credit for college expenses 🎓

Has anyone tried doing the taxes the old school way with the free IRS fillable forms? I know it's not as fancy but it's literally free for everyone regardless of income and they support all forms.

I've been using TaxAct's free version for the past few years and it's worked well for my situation with W2 and multiple 1099s. Unlike some of the other "free" options that force upgrades, TaxAct's free version actually includes 1099 support without any hidden fees for federal filing. The interface is pretty clean and intuitive - not as flashy as some of the bigger names, but it gets the job done without being frustrating to navigate. It walks you through each section step by step and has good error checking to catch mistakes before you file. One thing I really like is that it imports W2s electronically from most major employers, and you can easily add multiple 1099s without any upgrade prompts. It also has a decent selection of deduction categories if you're itemizing, though the standard deduction is probably better for most people anyway. The only downside is you do have to pay for state filing (around $15-20 depending on your state), but federal is completely free even with the 1099 income. Given how much time it saves compared to doing everything manually, I think it's worth considering alongside the other options mentioned here.

Something nobody's mentioned yet - if you have self-employment income (even from a side gig), you could open a Solo 401k and roll your pre-tax IRA money into that. Then you'd be able to do clean backdoor Roth conversions with your post-tax IRA contributions. I did this last year when I was consulting on the side, and it worked perfectly. The Solo 401k can often have better investment options than an employer 401k too, since you get to choose the provider. I went with Fidelity and have access to all their low-cost index funds with no admin fees.

Great breakdown of your situation! You're absolutely right about the pro-rata rule making backdoor Roth conversions less attractive with your current mix. A few additional thoughts: Since you're 42 with 20 years until retirement, you might consider doing small annual Roth conversions during years when your income is lower (job changes, sabbaticals, etc.). Even though you'd pay tax on 85% of each conversion, spreading it over multiple years could keep you in lower tax brackets. Another angle to consider: if you expect to be in a lower tax bracket in retirement, keeping the Traditional IRA as-is might actually be optimal. You'd continue tracking basis with Form 8606, and your future withdrawals would be partially tax-free based on the pro-rata rule you mentioned. For the earnings question - no, earnings on your post-tax contributions are not tax-free when withdrawn. Only your actual post-tax contribution amounts (your basis) come out tax-free. The IRS treats all earnings as taxable regardless of which contributions generated them. The 401k rollover strategy others mentioned is solid if your plan allows it, but make sure to factor in any differences in investment options and fees when deciding if it's worth it.

I had to do this last year when my return got flagged. Compared to my experience with getting a passport, the ID verification was much more strict about documentation. I brought my driver's license, passport, social security card, birth certificate (overkill but I was paranoid), utility bill, bank statement, and complete tax return with all attachments. The agent was impressed I was so prepared, unlike the person before me who got turned away. The whole verification took about 20 minutes, and my refund was direct deposited exactly 9 days later.

As someone who went through this process twice (once for myself and once helping my elderly father), I can confirm that having all your documentation organized is absolutely crucial. Here's what worked for us: **Essential documents:** - Two forms of photo ID (driver's license + passport is ideal) - Social Security card or W-2 showing full SSN - Complete printed copy of the tax return in question - All supporting documents (W-2s, 1099s, receipts if you itemized) - Recent utility bill or bank statement for address verification **Pro tips:** - Organize everything in a folder beforehand - don't dig through a messy pile during your appointment - Bring originals AND copies (they sometimes keep copies) - If you filed jointly, your spouse should come with their ID too - Screenshot your appointment confirmation just in case The good news is that once you get through the verification, your refund typically processes within 1-2 weeks. Since your kids are on spring break next week, definitely try calling the appointment line first thing Monday morning - they release new slots throughout the week. Good luck!