I've been running a mountain biking blog for 2 years now. Here's what I learned: track EVERYTHING! I use a spreadsheet where I log every expense with: date, amount, category, business %, and purpose. I take photos of all receipts. For travel, I document each day with what content I created. The IRS cares most about your INTENT - if you can show you genuinely intend to make profit (even if you don't right away), you're in better shape.

As someone who's been through several IRS audits for my freelance consulting business, I can tell you that documentation is absolutely everything. For your travel blog situation, the key is proving business intent from day one. Here's what I'd recommend: Before you leave, create a detailed business plan showing projected revenue streams (affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, product sales, etc.). Document your content creation schedule and upload timeline. Keep a daily log during travel noting what business activities you performed each day (filming, writing, networking with other creators, etc.). For expenses, you can typically deduct the business percentage. So if 30% of your trip days involve significant content creation, you might deduct 30% of accommodation costs for those specific days. The laptop and camera are easier - if used 80% for business, deduct 80%. One critical point: don't wait to start monetizing. Set up affiliate accounts, Google AdSense, and sponsor outreach before you leave. Having these revenue streams active (even if earning pennies) shows the IRS you're serious about profit, not just enjoying a subsidized vacation. The "profit in 3 of 5 years" rule gives you breathing room, but having some revenue from year one makes your case much stronger.

I went through something similar with about $35K in tax debt from my consulting business. The IRS was actually more reasonable than I expected when I finally worked up the courage to call them directly. What really helped me was getting organized BEFORE calling. I gathered all my financial documents - bank statements, monthly expenses, pay stubs, etc. The IRS agent walked me through their Collection Information Statement (Form 433-F) over the phone, which calculates how much you can realistically pay based on your income minus necessary living expenses. The whole process took about 3 weeks from my first call to getting the official payment agreement in writing. The agent was professional and actually seemed to want to help me find a solution rather than just collect money. I ended up with a 6-year payment plan at $425/month, which was way better than the $8,000 the tax relief company wanted upfront just to "evaluate" my case. My biggest advice: don't be intimidated by calling the IRS. Yes, the hold times are brutal, but the agents are generally reasonable if you're honest about your situation and show you're trying to comply. Those tax relief companies prey on fear, but the IRS has programs available that you can access yourself with some patience and preparation.

I can share my experience from dealing with a similar situation. I owed about $24,000 in back taxes from 2021-2022 and was getting those same aggressive marketing calls and mailers promising to settle for "pennies on the dollar." After reading through all these responses, I decided to skip the tax relief companies and go directly to the IRS. It took me 4 attempts over 2 weeks to finally get through to someone, but once I did, the agent was surprisingly helpful and patient. The key thing I learned is that the IRS has standard programs available to everyone - you don't need to pay someone thousands to access them. I qualified for an installment agreement at $320/month over 8 years, and they also approved first-time penalty abatement which reduced my total debt by about $3,200. What really struck me was how straightforward the process was once I actually talked to the IRS. No mysterious negotiations or special connections needed - just honest communication about what I could afford based on my actual financial situation. Those tax relief companies aren't necessarily scams, but they're charging premium prices for services you can get for free directly from the IRS if you're willing to be patient and persistent. Save your money and deal with the source directly - the IRS agents are real people who generally want to help you find a workable solution.

According to SBTPG's terms and conditions under section 4.3(b) of their Refund Advance Agreement, approval is "subject to underwriting criteria including but not limited to verification of tax refund claim and credit evaluation." I went through this process this January and can confirm they do evaluate both. My refund was projected at $12,400, and I was approved for a $5,000 advance with a credit score of 710. Would like someone to confirm if this is typical or if I should have qualified for more?

I've been through this process with SBTPG twice in the last few years, and I can confirm it's definitely both credit and refund amount based. Here's what I've learned from my experience: The $7k advance you mentioned typically requires: • Expected refund of at least $12k-14k (they won't advance more than ~50% of your expected refund) • Credit score probably in the 650+ range (though they don't publish exact requirements) • Clean tax history with no major issues Since you usually qualify for the $4k advance with TurboTax/H&R Block, you're likely in decent standing credit-wise. But the jump from $4k to $7k is significant and they're much more selective at that level. My advice: if your expected refund this year is substantially higher than previous years (like $12k+), it might be worth trying. But if you're expecting a similar refund to previous years, you'll probably get offered something in the $3k-5k range regardless of which service you use. The good news is that most of these applications are soft credit pulls, so shopping around won't hurt your score. Just be prepared that the "up to $7k" marketing might not reflect what you actually qualify for.

Has anyone tried to use tax software to figure this out? I bought my first house this year too and I'm trying to decide between TurboTax, H&R Block, and FreeTaxUSA for next year. Wondering which one explains the mortgage interest deduction the best for newbies?

Great question! I went through this same confusion when I bought my house two years ago. Here's what I wish someone had told me upfront: The key number to remember is that standard deduction for married filing jointly in 2024 is $29,200. So you need your mortgage interest + property taxes + state/local taxes (capped at $10K) + any other itemized deductions to exceed that amount. With your $425K house, you're probably looking at around $18K-22K in mortgage interest your first year (depending on your rate). Add your property taxes and you might be close, but probably not quite there unless you have significant charitable donations or other deductions. One thing that helped me was getting my 1098 form from my lender in January - it shows exactly how much interest you paid. Then you can see if itemizing makes sense or if you should just take the standard deduction. As for adjusting withholding - I'd be cautious about that until you're sure you'll be itemizing. It's safer to get a refund than owe money at tax time, especially in your first year of homeownership when there are so many unknowns.

This is definitely a scam! You were absolutely right to be cautious and check here first. The IRS has a very clear and consistent policy - they NEVER initiate contact through email, period. All legitimate IRS communications come through official postal mail only. That generic "Dear Taxpayer" greeting is a major red flag since the real IRS would use your actual name if you genuinely had an online account with them. What's particularly insidious about this scam is that line claiming "We won't initiate email contact with you without your consent" - it's actually a psychological manipulation tactic where they're acknowledging the exact red flag they're creating to try to seem legitimate! The vague "new notification" language is classic phishing designed to create curiosity without providing any verifiable details. Real IRS notifications are specific about tax years, forms, or account activities. Delete this email immediately and never click any links. If you need to check your IRS account status, go directly to IRS.gov and log in manually. You can also forward this scam to phishing@irs.gov to help them track these fraudulent attempts and protect other taxpayers. Your instincts were spot on - always trust that gut feeling when something about tax communications seems off. The basic rule is simple: if it's claiming to be from the IRS and it's not coming through the postal service, it's fake!

Definitely a scam! You made the smart choice asking here first. The IRS never initiates contact via email - they only use official postal mail. That "Dear Taxpayer" greeting is a dead giveaway since legitimate IRS communications would use your actual name from their records. What's really deceptive about this particular scam is how they included that line "We won't initiate email contact with you without your consent" - they're basically trying to address the exact red flag they're creating! It's a psychological trick to make you think they're being transparent when they're actually doing the opposite of what the real IRS does. Always go directly to IRS.gov if you need to check your account status. Delete this email and report it to phishing@irs.gov if you want to help track these scams. Your gut instinct was absolutely right - when it comes to the IRS, if it's not snail mail, it's not real!