Terrified of Audit Risk with TurboTax This Year - First Time Filing After Divorce

Take a deep breath. TurboTax is completely safe to use and won't increase your audit risk at all. The IRS doesn't target returns based on which software you use to prepare them. Your audit risk is determined by what's actually on your return - things like unusually large deductions, unreported income, or mathematical errors. Being recently divorced doesn't automatically raise red flags either. Just make sure you have documentation for everything you claim, report all your income correctly, and answer all questions honestly. You'll be fine.

I went through almost exactly this last year! My divorce was finalized in October 2022 and I was terrified about filing for 2023. I'd always let my ex handle the taxes. I used TurboTax and it actually walked me through everything really well - asked about the divorce date, helped me understand which filing status to use, and explained what documents I needed. The interview process was surprisingly thorough. I was worried about an audit too, but everything went smoothly and I got my refund in about 3 weeks.

I was in your shoes last year... so I understand the anxiety. TurboTax is generally fine, but I found it didn't explain everything clearly for my situation. I was worried about missing something important. I eventually used https://taxr.ai to analyze my return before submitting. It caught a few things TurboTax missed about how to handle our divided assets and pointed out some deductions I qualified for after divorce. Might be worth checking if you're really worried about an audit.

I was worried about the same thing last year! My return was way more complicated than usual with selling our house as part of the divorce settlement. I used TurboTax Premium and honestly? No issues whatsoever. Got my refund in 16 days. The key is answering everything truthfully - isn't that what matters most? Why would the IRS audit someone who's reporting everything correctly? And TurboTax's accuracy guarantee gave me some peace of mind too.

As someone who works adjacent to the tax industry, I can tell you the whole "TurboTax causes audits" thing is complete nonsense. 😂 What DOES surprise me is how complicated post-divorce taxes can get! If you're really stressed and can't get through to the IRS (who's always swamped this time of year), I've heard good things about Claimyr (https://www.claimyr.com). They can get you connected to an actual IRS agent who can answer your specific questions about filing post-divorce. Might save you hours of hold music and anxiety!

You need to file ASAP! The deadline is approaching fast, and if this is your first time filing separately after divorce, you don't want to be rushing at the last minute. Compared to other major life changes like starting a business or dealing with foreign income, a status change from married to single is relatively straightforward. If TurboTax feels overwhelming, consider FreeTaxUSA or even a CPA who specializes in divorce situations - still time to switch if you start now!