One thing I haven't seen mentioned - If your wife already owned her house before marriage and you owned your condo before marriage, be careful about how you're filing. In some states, property owned before marriage remains separate property, which can affect how the rental income and expenses should be reported. If the condo is still in your name only, and not jointly with your wife, you might need to file Schedule E under just your name, not jointly. The LLC complicates things further. You should really consult with a CPA who specializes in real estate, not just a general tax preparer.

Your tax preparer is being overly cautious. You absolutely can and should claim legitimate rental property expenses on Schedule E even without rental income yet. The IRS allows deductions for properties that are "placed in service" - meaning ready and available for rent - regardless of whether you've found tenants. The fact that you're actively showing the property and being selective about tenants actually strengthens your position. This demonstrates genuine business intent, not a hobby activity. Keep detailed records of your marketing efforts, showings, and communications with potential renters. A few key points for your situation: - Document everything: receipts, photos of work done, rental listings, showing appointments - The LLC formation date doesn't determine "placed in service" - it's when you first made the property available for rent - Start keeping a mileage log NOW for any rental-related trips with the truck - Consider finding a tax professional who specializes in rental properties if your current preparer won't file Schedule E The IRS has consistently ruled in favor of taxpayers who can demonstrate legitimate business purpose and proper documentation. Your expenses are real business costs that should be deductible. Don't let fear of an audit prevent you from claiming legitimate deductions you're entitled to take.

As someone who went through this exact process a few years ago, I want to emphasize something that really helped me: keep detailed records of EVERYTHING from day one. Create a simple spreadsheet tracking: - Your arrival date and every time you leave/re-enter the US - All income sources (stipend, TA/RA payments, scholarships, etc.) - Any tax documents you receive (1042-S, 1098-T, etc.) - Communications with your university's payroll about tax treaty benefits The record-keeping becomes absolutely crucial when you transition from nonresident to resident alien status after 5 years. I wish someone had told me this earlier - it would have saved me hours of trying to reconstruct my tax history. Also, regarding your question about retirement plans: even though you can participate in university retirement plans as an F1 student, be aware that if you eventually return to your home country, accessing those funds early may trigger penalties. Consider whether it makes sense for your specific situation. One last tip: if your home country has a totalization agreement with the US, keep records of your Social Security contributions once you become a resident alien. This can help you qualify for benefits in either country later, even if you don't stay in the US for the full 10 years typically required.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm also an incoming F1 PhD student and had similar fears about making tax mistakes. Reading through everyone's experiences has been reassuring. One thing I wanted to add that might help other international students: check if your university has an International Student Services office that specifically helps with tax questions. Mine scheduled a group session just for international students before tax season, and they walked through examples of filling out Form 8843 and Form 1040NR. They also explained something I didn't know - that even if you don't owe any taxes (due to treaty benefits or low income), you still need to file these forms to maintain your nonresident status. Missing these filings can actually affect your ability to claim treaty benefits in future years. @af00013caca2 For your specific situation with the PhD stipend, definitely reach out to your graduate school's financial aid office. They should be able to tell you exactly how your funding is classified (scholarship vs. wages) and whether any portion qualifies for treaty benefits. This classification makes a huge difference in your tax liability. Also, don't forget that many states don't tax scholarships used for tuition and required fees, even if the federal government does. So even if part of your funding is taxable federally, you might save money at the state level. The learning curve is steep, but you've got this! The international student community is usually very supportive when it comes to sharing tax experiences.

Based on everyone's experiences shared here, it sounds like you're in a similar situation to what many others have faced. The key seems to be getting proper medical documentation that supports the "substantial assistance" requirement, regardless of how the facility describes the level of help. Since your parents have arthritis affecting their ability to dress themselves (needing help with socks, shoes, and buttons), I'd recommend getting their doctor to complete Form 2652 specifically documenting that they require substantial assistance with both bathing and dressing due to their medical condition. The fact that they physically cannot complete these tasks without help due to arthritis should qualify as "substantial assistance" even if the facility calls it "moderate." The medical necessity aspect seems to carry more weight with the IRS than the exact terminology used by care facilities. Given that we're talking about potentially significant deduction amounts, it's probably worth the effort to get the proper medical certification and documentation in place.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that the IRS also considers someone "chronically ill" if they require substantial supervision to protect their health and safety due to severe cognitive impairment. This might not apply to your parents' situation since they're in independent living, but it's worth noting for others reading this thread. Also, keep detailed records of all the assistance your parents receive - even things like medication reminders or safety checks. Sometimes facilities provide more medical-type services than initially apparent, and these can strengthen your case for the chronically ill designation. The more comprehensive medical documentation you have, the stronger your position will be if questioned. Good luck with getting Form 2652 completed - that really does seem to be the key piece of documentation that makes the difference between partial and full deductibility!

One thing to keep in mind with vacant land investments is the concept of "holding period" for tax purposes. Since you mentioned you're considering building on it eventually for personal use, you'll want to be very clear about when that transition happens. The IRS looks at your primary intent at the time of purchase and your ongoing actions. If you originally bought it as an investment (which sounds like your case), you can generally continue treating it that way until you take concrete steps toward personal use - like applying for building permits, hiring contractors, or starting construction. Also, don't forget that if you do any improvements to the land while it's still an investment property (like clearing, grading, utilities hookups), those costs can be added to your basis, which will help reduce any taxable gain when you eventually sell or convert it. Keep detailed records of all expenses related to the property during its investment phase.

I've been in a similar situation with vacant land, and one thing that really helped me was keeping a detailed investment journal from day one. I document everything - market research I do on the area, comparable sales I look up, any inquiries about potential uses, and even notes from conversations with real estate agents about appreciation potential. This documentation has been invaluable not just for tax purposes, but also for my own decision-making. When I eventually do convert to personal use, I'll have a clear paper trail showing my investment intent and activities throughout the holding period. Also, something I learned the hard way - if you're planning to eventually build on the property, consider having a survey done while it's still in investment status. Survey costs are deductible as investment expenses, and you'll need one anyway for construction. Better to get that deduction while you can rather than treating it as a personal expense later.

This is definitely a good sign! I went through the exact same thing about 3 weeks ago. The all-zeros transcript means your return is officially in the IRS system and being processed - it's like getting a "we received your package" notification when you ship something. From my experience and what I've seen others report, you're probably looking at about a week before you see the actual codes and numbers populate. When it does update, you'll likely see code 150 first (which means return filed), then hopefully code 846 (refund issued) shortly after. The Feb 2025 date is just a system placeholder - ignore it completely. I was worried about that too but it means nothing for your actual timeline. For planning your summer budget, I'd estimate you're probably 1-2 weeks out from having a concrete refund date, assuming no issues with your return. Keep checking daily - once it starts updating, it usually happens pretty quickly!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Filed in mid-February and just got access to my 2024 transcript yesterday - all zeros just like yours. It's actually really comforting to see so many people confirming this is normal and a good sign. I was starting to worry something was wrong since it took so long for the transcript to even show up. The hardest part is the waiting when you're trying to plan ahead financially. I'm in a similar boat - trying to figure out some home repairs and whether I should wait for the refund or just go ahead and put it on credit. Sounds like we're both probably looking at another week or so based on everyone's experiences here. Thanks for posting this question! Sometimes it feels like you're the only one dealing with these IRS mysteries, but clearly we're all in the same confusing boat together. I'll definitely be checking my transcript daily now that I know what to look for. Fingers crossed we both see those real numbers soon! 🤞