Does the Free File program have a mobile app or is it desktop only? My laptop died last month and I'm only using my phone right now.

Most of the Free File options are designed primarily for desktop, but several have mobile-responsive websites that work on phones. TaxSlayer and TaxAct specifically have decent mobile experiences through their Free File programs. If you're limited to just your phone, Cash App Taxes (mentioned in another comment) might be your best bet - it was literally designed as a mobile-first experience and works great on phones. It's free regardless of whether you access it through Free File or directly, and handles education credits without charging.

Yes, Credit Karma Tax is now Cash App Taxes. I used it this year with a W-2, 1098-T, and even some 1099-INT from my savings account. Completely free for both federal and state, and it handled my American Opportunity Credit without any issues. The interface is pretty streamlined and worked well on both my laptop and phone.

The divorce was finalized in 2019, but the agreement definitely doesn't call it alimony. It's labeled as "property settlement" in the divorce decree. Is that clear enough for the IRS or does she need additional documentation? And would the extra amount he paid her ($2,500 over the agreed amount) fall under the same category?

If the agreement specifically labels it as "property settlement" in the divorce decree, that's very clear documentation for the IRS. That's exactly what you want - language that explicitly categorizes the payment as division of marital assets rather than support payments. For the extra $2,500, that's a bit trickier. Since it wasn't specified in the original agreement, the IRS might consider it as a separate transaction. If her ex specifically characterized it as interest or compensation for the delay, it could be considered taxable income. If it was presented as an additional property settlement or a gift, it would likely not be taxable to her. I'd recommend documenting any communication about that extra amount (emails, texts) that explains the nature of that additional payment.

This is a really good point. When I went through my divorce, my ex-spouse incorrectly issued me a 1099 for a property settlement payment. I had to file Form 8275 (Disclosure Statement) with my tax return to explain why I wasn't reporting the amount as income. Saved me from an automatic audit flag when the IRS computers saw the 1099 but didn't see matching income on my return.

She hasn't received any tax forms yet, but that's a really good point! I'll tell her to wait before filing her taxes to make sure she doesn't get a 1099 from him. If she does, we'll definitely need to file that Form 8275 with an explanation. The divorce was such a mess that I wouldn't be surprised if he reports it incorrectly just to cause problems.

Is that seriously true that both spouses have to choose the same deduction method?? I had no idea! We were planning to have my husband itemize since he has tons of deductible expenses while I'd take the standard deduction. Will this really not work?

Yes, it's absolutely true and it's one of the biggest "gotchas" with married filing separately. If one spouse itemizes, the other MUST also itemize - even if they have very few deductions. This often means the second spouse ends up with a very small itemized deduction amount that would have been much better served by taking the standard deduction. This requirement often wipes out much of the potential benefit of filing separately, which is why it's so important to run the numbers both ways. The tax code deliberately makes MFS less advantageous in most situations to encourage joint filing.

I've had similar experiences with TurboTax too. These programs often show "refund estimates" before they've calculated everything. Sometimes they don't include state taxes or certain penalties until the very end of the process.

I think I'm over the income limit for direct Roth contributions too. Do you know if I'd run into any issues if I go with the backdoor Roth approach mentioned above? I'm wondering if there's a timing issue since I already made the Traditional contribution a few months ago.

The timing shouldn't be an issue for the backdoor Roth approach. You can convert Traditional IRA funds to Roth at any time - there's no deadline for that part of the process. The only timing concern is getting your contribution classified correctly (as non-deductible) on your tax return. Just make sure you file Form 8606 with your taxes to document the non-deductible contribution, then do the conversion whenever you're ready. Some people prefer to wait a bit between contribution and conversion, while others do it immediately. Either way works fine from a tax perspective.

You're on the right track! When both spouses are over the income limit and covered by workplace plans, backdoor Roth is typically the way to go. Just make sure you're keeping separate IRAs (never combine them) and each filing Form 8606 annually.

How would I know if the basis wasn't reported? Is there something specific to look for on the form? Because I think this might be exactly my issue.

Look at your 1099-B form from your brokerage - there should be a column that indicates whether the cost basis was reported to the IRS. Sometimes there's a checkbox, other times it might say "Covered" versus "Noncovered" transactions, or it might explicitly state "Cost basis not reported to IRS" for certain transactions. Noncovered securities (typically those acquired before certain dates or transferred from other brokerages) don't have their cost basis automatically reported to the IRS, so the IRS only sees the sale proceeds. In those cases, they might assume your entire proceeds are gains unless you properly report the cost basis on Form 8949.

Will the IRS just cancel the debt if I can show the broker's forms match what I reported? Or will I need to prove something more?