You mentioned buying your first home - don't forget there are first-time homebuyer benefits that might help with your overall financial situation even if they don't directly relate to the car sale. Depending on your state, there might be assistance programs. Also, make sure you're tracking all your closing costs - some of them might be tax deductible next year!

Great question! As others have mentioned, you're likely in the clear tax-wise since personal vehicles almost always depreciate. Just to be thorough though, make sure you keep documentation of what you originally paid for the Camry (purchase receipt, financing documents, etc.) and what you sell it for. One thing I'd add - if you've made any significant improvements to the car over the years (major repairs, new engine, etc.), keep those receipts too as they can be added to your "cost basis" if needed. But honestly, with a 6-year-old Camry selling for $11,500, you're almost certainly selling at a loss from what you paid originally. Good luck with the home purchase! Using your car sale proceeds for a down payment is a smart move - just make sure your lender knows where that money is coming from so there are no surprises during underwriting.

As someone who's been through the ERC audit nightmare, I want to echo what others are saying about being extremely cautious. The fact that your online sales increased 18% while your physical location was closed actually works AGAINST you in an ERC claim. The IRS looks at whether your business as a whole was substantially impacted. If you were able to maintain or even grow revenue through alternative channels (online sales), they'll argue you successfully adapted and continued operations - which disqualifies you from the "suspension of operations" test. I'd strongly recommend getting a second opinion from a qualified CPA before moving forward with ANY ERC company, especially one that's pressuring you to act quickly. The legitimate credits are still there for businesses that truly qualify, but the audit risk is very real. I'm dealing with a $60K clawback demand right now because the ERC company I used didn't properly document our qualification. Don't let the size of the potential refund cloud your judgment - the penalties for incorrect claims are severe and the companies collecting fees upfront won't be there to help you when problems arise.

I've been following this thread closely as someone who almost fell into the same trap with an ERC company last year. What saved me was doing exactly what several people here mentioned - I got multiple professional opinions before proceeding. The key issue with your situation (and what the ERC companies won't tell you) is that the IRS uses a "facts and circumstances" test for partial suspensions. Even if your physical location was completely shut down, if your business was able to continue operations and actually GROW revenue through other channels, the IRS will likely determine that your core business operations weren't suspended. The IRS specifically looks at whether the business found "comparable" ways to continue operations. In your case, the 18% growth in online sales during the shutdown period would be a major red flag in an audit. It suggests your business successfully pivoted rather than being suspended. I'd recommend documenting exactly what percentage of your pre-pandemic business came from the physical location versus online sales. If online was already your primary channel, you're almost certainly not going to qualify under the suspension test. And with these companies taking 20-30% fees upfront, you're risking a lot for what sounds like a very questionable claim. The horror stories in this thread about disappeared companies and audit nightmares should be all the warning you need. Trust your instincts - if something feels off, it probably is.

Has anyone used the "mark-to-market" election as a trader? I heard its better for taxes but I dont really understand it.

As someone who's been through this exact situation, I'd recommend a hybrid approach. I set aside money monthly based on my running P/L rather than after each individual trade - this smooths out the ups and downs and is much more manageable with 270+ trades. Here's what I do: At the end of each month, I calculate my net trading profit for that month and set aside 30-35% (accounting for both federal and state taxes plus the additional Medicare tax on high earners). I keep this in a separate high-yield savings account so it's earning something while waiting for tax time. The key thing with day trading is that virtually all your gains will be short-term capital gains taxed as ordinary income. Since you have W-2 income too, your trading profits stack on top, so you definitely want to be conservative with your set-aside percentage. Also, start making quarterly estimated payments once your trading profits hit around $1,000 for the quarter. The IRS gets cranky if you don't pay as you go, and the underpayment penalties aren't worth it. I learned that the hard way my first profitable year!

Has anyone successfully done what the OP is suggesting with delayed financing? I'm considering a similar strategy but worried about IRS scrutiny. How detailed does the "clear tracing" of funds need to be?

This is a great discussion thread! I've been dealing with a similar situation and want to add a few practical points from my experience with Form 4952. First, regarding your $2.7M house strategy - you're absolutely correct that stock dividends count as investment income for Form 4952 purposes. I've successfully used this approach with my own investment portfolio. One thing I learned the hard way: timing is crucial for the delayed financing approach. The IRS has specific rules about when borrowed funds are considered "used for investment." You generally have 30 days from receiving the loan proceeds to invest them, and another 30 days to allocate the interest expense properly on your books. Also, keep meticulous records! I created a dedicated investment account solely for the borrowed funds and documented every transaction. This made my tax preparation much smoother and gave me confidence if the IRS ever questions the deduction. For your situation with potentially $108k in deductible interest, make sure you have sufficient net investment income to absorb it all. Any excess investment interest expense carries forward to future years, which is helpful but means you don't get the immediate tax benefit. One last tip: consider consulting with a tax professional before implementing this strategy, especially given the dollar amounts involved. The savings can be substantial, but the documentation requirements are strict.

Just to add to what others have said about the hobby vs business distinction - if you decide to treat your glassblowing as a business (which sounds like your best option tax-wise), make sure you're also tracking all possible business expenses! Some people miss deductions for: - Home office space if you do any work at home - Mileage for all business-related driving (studio, supply shopping, delivering pieces) - Phone/internet portion used for business - Marketing costs (business cards, website fees) - Education (any classes or books about improving your glassblowing) - Tools under $2500 can usually be deducted immediately Also, keep in mind that if you make over $400 net profit, you'll need to pay self-employment tax (15.3%) on that profit. But the good news is you can deduct half of that tax on your return.

One thing nobody has mentioned yet - if you sell more than $600 worth of items on platforms like eBay, PayPal, Etsy, etc., they'll likely issue you a 1099-K form starting this year. This doesn't change your tax liability, but it means the IRS will know about that income. For your arcade machine example, even though it's a personal item sold at a loss (which isn't taxable), you might still get a 1099-K if you sell it through an online platform. If that happens, you'll need to report the sale on your return to match the 1099-K, but then show that it was a personal item sold at a loss so it doesn't create taxable income. The 1099-K threshold used to be much higher, but now it's just $600, so a lot more casual sellers are getting these forms than in previous years.