Sources tell the New York Post that Demi had been hoping to quietly negotiate a financial settlement with Kutcher and then file the papers once an agreement had been reached. Kutcher couldn’t wait that long, it seems. Moore announced she was ending her six-year marriage to the 34-year-old actor in November 2011, and there had been many rumors as to why neither had officially filed papers until now.

According to the Post’s source, the negotiations got too bogged down and Kutcher — who is the highest paid TV actor, pulling in $24 million last year for his role on “Two And A Half Men” — couldn’t wait any longer.

“Demi was asking for so much money, and [the negotiation] was dragging on so long, that Kutcher got fed up and filed papers, which means their divorce negotiations will become more public,” explains the source.

Moore allegedly netted $90 million in her divorce from Bruce Willis, so it’s more than possible Moore is looking for a big pay day from Kutcher as well — especially since their marriage ended after he was caught cheating on her with a 23-year-old.

However, there might be another reason for the sudden decision to file divorce papers — taxes. Christopher Melcher, a veteran California divorce attorney who has represented Katie Holmes and other celebrities, told the Los Angeles Times that when a filing occurs late in December, it’s typically because the couple wants to end the marriage before the end of the year for tax reasons.

Meanwhile, other sources have said that Kutcher made the move to officially end his marriage to Moore because he’s getting serious with girlfriend Mila Kunis. And while financial issues do appear to be what was holding up the divorce proceedings, other sources told TMZ that the 50-year-old actress is “genuinely happy” and has no regrets about moving on.

– HuffPost