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Be careful with some of the advice here! I had a rental vacant for 9 months last year and my accountant said I could only deduct a percentage of expenses based on the occupied vs vacant months (8/12 of annual expenses). Something about "not actively engaged in business" during those months. Anyone else been told this?
Your accountant is incorrect. I've been a property manager for 15 years and have dealt with many owners' tax situations. The IRS considers you "in business" as long as you're holding the property for income production and actively trying to rent it. Vacancies are an ordinary and necessary part of the rental business. All ordinary expenses during vacancy periods are fully deductible.
I went through this exact same situation with my rental duplex last year! Had one unit vacant for 5 months and was worried about deducting expenses. After doing a lot of research and talking to my CPA, I can confirm that HOA dues are absolutely deductible during vacancy periods as long as you're actively marketing the property for rent. The key is documentation - I kept a detailed log of all my rental activities during the vacancy: every Zillow listing renewal, Craigslist post, showing appointment, and even declined applications. I also took photos of any maintenance or improvements I did to make the property more rentable. One tip that helped me: I created a simple spreadsheet tracking all my marketing efforts with dates and screenshots. When I filed my taxes, I included this as backup documentation. My CPA said this level of detail really shows the IRS that you're serious about renting the property and not just trying to claim personal property expenses as business deductions. Don't let the vacancy stress you out too much from a tax perspective - it's a normal part of being a landlord and the IRS recognizes that!
This is really helpful advice about documentation! I'm new to rental property ownership and just inherited a condo that's been sitting empty for 2 months now. I've been listing it but haven't been keeping detailed records like you mentioned. Quick question - do you think it's too late to start documenting everything now? Should I go back and try to reconstruct my previous listing activities, or just start fresh with better record keeping going forward? Also, did your CPA have any specific format they preferred for the documentation, or was your spreadsheet approach sufficient?
Just wanted to share what I learned from my accountant about this exact issue. For nearly all 1099-NECs from businesses (including Google/YouTube): 1. The Payer's Federal Tax ID is always an EIN for businesses 2. It should follow the xx-xxxxxxx format 3. Google often prints it without the dash, but it's still an EIN 4. Only individual payers (like if a person hired you directly) would use an SSN If you're making decent money on YouTube, consider getting an accountant who specializes in creator income. There are so many deductions available that most people miss! I was able to write off a portion of my internet, my editing software, equipment, and even part of my home as a studio space.
Thanks for this info! Did your accountant mention anything about how strict the IRS is about getting this specific field right? Like if I accidentally pick the wrong format but the actual numbers are correct, is that a big deal?
The IRS cares about the accuracy of the actual digits more than the format selection. If you entered all 9 digits correctly but selected the wrong format type, it's unlikely to trigger any issues since the underlying number is correct. That said, it's still best to get it right if you can. Selecting EIN vs SSN does matter for their internal matching systems. If you've already filed with the wrong format but correct numbers, it's not usually worth amending just for that. But since you haven't filed yet, definitely select the EIN option for Google/YouTube.
Another creator here - wanted to add that Google's EIN is actually publicly available information. Their EIN is 77-0493581, so you can verify your 1099-NEC has the right info. Most big tech companies' EINs can be found online.
That's super helpful! Do you happen to know if we should be entering this number with or without the dash when TurboTax asks for it? I'm at the same screen now.
You can enter it either way - TurboTax will accept it with or without the dash. If you want to be precise, enter it as 77-0493581 (with the dash after the first two digits) since you've already selected the EIN format option. But honestly, entering just the 9 digits without any dashes works fine too - the software will format it correctly on the actual tax form regardless of how you input it.
Don't forget about the SALT (State And Local Tax) deduction cap of $10,000! Even if your state income tax and property tax combined are higher, you can only deduct up to $10k when itemizing. This trips up a lot of homeowners in high-tax states who assume all their property taxes will help push them over the standard deduction threshold.
This is such an important point! I live in New Jersey and our property taxes alone are $15k, but I can only claim $10k total between those and state income tax. Really changes the math on whether to itemize or not.
Sarah, based on the calculations others have shared, it looks like you actually made the right choice by taking the standard deduction! With $9,800 in mortgage interest, $3,400 in property taxes, and $1,000 in charitable donations, your total itemized deductions would be around $14,200. Since the standard deduction for married filing jointly was $27,700 in 2023, you saved about $13,500 by taking the standard deduction instead of itemizing. This is actually a common misconception among new homeowners - many assume that having a mortgage automatically means they should itemize, but with the increased standard deduction amounts since 2018, most people still benefit more from the standard deduction unless they have very high mortgage interest or live in high-tax states with significant property taxes. So don't stress about this! Your tax software did exactly what it was supposed to do by automatically selecting the more beneficial option for you. No amended return needed in your case.
Check your WMR (Wheres My Refund) tool daily. Sometimes it updates before the transcript shows changes.
WMR hasnt updated for me in weeks lol its useless
Based on your transcript, you're in great shape! Your return processed cleanly on March 3rd with no holds or additional review codes. The April 17th dates you see for codes 766 and 768 are just IRS system placeholders - they don't represent when you'll actually receive your refund. Code 766 is a credit to your account ($3,042) and code 768 is your Earned Income Credit ($5,116), totaling your $8,158 refund. Since your transcript shows processing complete with a negative balance (money owed to you), you should expect your refund within 7-21 business days from March 3rd. The key indicator is that there are no additional transaction codes after the initial processing, which means no delays or reviews. Most people with similar clean transcripts see their refunds hit their accounts within 2-3 weeks of the processing date. Keep checking your bank account - it could arrive any day now!
Clay blendedgen
Have you tried calling the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service? On March 12th, I had a similar situation with a 570 code and was facing a time-sensitive financial deadline. I reached out to TAS on March 15th, explained my hardship situation (which educational expenses can qualify for), and they were able to expedite the review of my account. By March 22nd, my transcript updated with a release code. It's worth a shot if your tuition deadline is truly imminent and you can demonstrate financial hardship.
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Darcy Moore
I completely understand your frustration with the timing - having a tuition deadline looming while waiting for a 570 code to resolve is incredibly stressful. Based on what I've seen in this community, cycle 05 codes do typically update on Fridays, but here's what you should know: the 570 code with a date from last Friday likely means that's when the hold was placed, not when it will be resolved. Most 570 holds resolve within 2-3 weeks, so you're still well within the normal timeframe. While you're waiting, I'd recommend checking if your school offers any grace period for tuition payments or emergency financial aid options. Also, look for any 971 code on your transcript - if it's there, a letter is coming that will explain exactly what the IRS needs from you. Stay strong, and try not to check more than once a day to preserve your sanity!
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Javier Torres
ā¢This is such solid advice! I'm dealing with my first 570 code and the uncertainty has been eating at me. The once-a-day checking rule is something I definitely need to follow - I've been obsessively refreshing the transcript page multiple times per day and it's driving me crazy. Quick question though - when you mention looking for a 971 code, does that always appear at the same time as the 570, or could it show up later? And has anyone here successfully gotten their school to work with them on payment deadlines while waiting for IRS processing?
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