Have you considered using a Certified Acceptance Agent? They can help with ITIN applications and often have direct lines to the IRS. Might save you some headache.

I went through something similar with my nephew's ITIN application last year. The key thing that helped me was actually going to a local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center in person. I know it sounds old-fashioned, but sometimes face-to-face interaction gets better results than phone calls or mail. You can find your nearest location on the IRS website and make an appointment. Bring all your documents (originals AND copies) and that letter you received. The staff there were able to tell me exactly what was missing and helped me resubmit everything correctly. It took about 6 weeks after that to get approved. Good luck!

Something nobody mentioned - if you ever bring the dogs home with you during non-business hours, you'd need to allocate the expenses. Like if they're at the center 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, that's 40/168 = about 24% of the time. So technically you could only deduct 24% of their food, general care, etc. For vet visits and supplies used only at the center, those would be 100% deductible.

This is such a great question! As someone who's dealt with similar deductions for my small business, I wanted to add that you should also consider documenting any therapeutic benefits these dogs provide. If you have children with IEPs or 504 plans that specifically mention animal-assisted therapy or emotional support needs, keep copies of those documents as they strengthen your business justification. Also, don't forget about indirect expenses that might be deductible - things like special flooring or cleaning supplies needed because of the animals, liability insurance riders, or even modifications to your facility to accommodate them safely. These all support the business purpose and can add up to significant deductions. One more tip: if you ever need to replace toys or equipment that the dogs damage during their "work," those replacement costs are also deductible business expenses. Just make sure to document that the damage occurred during business operations, not personal time.

Have you considered setting up a separate entity for your real estate investments? Sometimes restructuring how you hold these investments can impact how the passive loss rules apply. I did this last year and it opened up some planning opportunities.

Just wanted to add another perspective on this - I've been through a similar situation with syndication losses and consulting income. One thing that really helped me was getting a clear understanding of the "grouping" rules under the passive activity regulations. Even if your real estate investments are passive, you might be able to group certain activities together if they form an "appropriate economic unit." This could potentially change how the material participation tests apply. For example, if you have any direct rental properties alongside your syndication investments, there might be grouping opportunities. Also, make sure you're not missing the "significant participation" test - if you spend between 100-500 hours on an activity, it might qualify as significant participation, which can convert passive income from other significant participation activities into non-passive income that your losses could offset. The key is documenting your time spent on any real estate activities. I started tracking my hours more carefully after realizing I was spending more time reviewing investment materials, attending investor calls, and doing due diligence than I thought. Every hour counts toward those material participation thresholds.

I tried accessing my transcripts on March 14th and got locked out of my account after multiple failed verification attempts. Called the IRS on March 15th and was told there's a 10-day security lock once you fail verification. Had to request mail delivery instead, which arrived on March 26th. Just missed my documentation deadline. The system is particularly sensitive to address changes - if you've moved in the last 2 years, you might have problems with the automated verification.

I just went through this process two weeks ago for my ACA marketplace verification! Here's a step-by-step that worked for me: First, go to IRS.gov and click "Get Your Tax Record" then "Get Transcript Online." You'll need to create or log into your IRS online account using ID.me (yes, it's the only option now). For medical documentation, you specifically want the "Account Transcript" - this shows your AGI clearly marked. The whole ID.me verification took me about 15 minutes including uploading my driver's license photo. One tip: make sure your current address matches exactly what the IRS has on file, or you'll get stuck in verification loops. Once you download the transcript PDF, the AGI amount is clearly labeled on line 37 for most people. Your healthcare provider should accept this immediately since it has the official IRS watermark. Good luck with your 14-day deadline!

I've used both TurboTax and HR Block and honestly think TurboTax is worth the extra $$. Last year I had relocation expenses for a new job and used TurboTax Premium. The step-by-step guidance was super helpful since my situation was complicated (partial company reimbursement, temporary housing, some unreimbursed expenses). It flagged that moving expenses aren't deductible anymore except for military but helped me correctly report the reimbursement my company provided. The premium version also helped me with some investment stuff I had, but if you don't have investments or rental property, the deluxe version would probably work fine for your relocation situation. Just know that you can't deduct moving expenses anymore, you'll just need to correctly report any reimbursements from your employer.

I moved across state lines for work last year and went through this exact decision process! After reading through everyone's advice here, I ended up using H&R Block Deluxe and it handled my relocation situation perfectly. Just to echo what others have said - you're right that moving expenses aren't deductible anymore for most people (I learned this the hard way after saving every receipt). But both software options will help you properly report any reimbursements from your company, which is really the main thing you need to worry about tax-wise. I chose H&R Block Deluxe over TurboTax because it was about $25 cheaper and honestly did everything I needed. The interface walked me through entering my relocation reimbursement info step by step, and I didn't feel like I was missing out on any features by not getting Premium. One tip - if your company reimbursed you for some expenses, make sure you have your final paystub or W-2 handy when you're filing because you'll need to see exactly how they reported those reimbursements (usually in Box 1 as regular income). Both programs will ask you about this specifically. Good luck with your move and taxes!