But doesn't that social contract idea assume we're getting functional services in return? Have you seen the state of public infrastructure lately? Where is all that money actually going?

I definitely understand that frustration. The quality of public services varies dramatically depending on where you live, and that's a legitimate concern. The issue isn't necessarily the amount of taxes collected but how efficiently they're being used. The reality is that a substantial portion of federal tax dollars goes to things like Social Security, Medicare, defense, and interest on the national debt - not directly visible infrastructure. Local infrastructure like roads and schools depends more on state and local taxes, which is why quality varies so much between different areas.

Be careful with that approach. A friend of mine got too aggressive with deductions and ended up getting audited. The penalties and interest ended up costing more than what he saved. Better to stay within clear guidelines.

Actually that's interesting because my partner did have some credit card fraud last year. They had to deal with a bunch of identity theft issues. Do you think that could be causing my tax return to ask for an IP PIN even though we file separately? We've never filed jointly.

Even if you file separately, sometimes these systems can create connections between household members, especially if you've ever shared an address on tax returns. The IRS fraud detection systems are pretty sophisticated and look for patterns across related taxpayers. In your case, it's definitely possible that your partner's identity theft situation triggered additional security for anyone connected to them, including people at the same address. I'd recommend asking your partner if they received an IP PIN and checking with them about any communications they've had with the IRS about identity protection.

This is great advice but setting up an IRS account online is its own circle of hell. They've made the verification process so strict that many legitimate people can't get through it. They asked me for info from a mortgage I had 8 years ago!

This is really interesting! We definitely haven't received any benefits from the property - it's just vacant land that's been sitting there. How strict are the time limits though? This property transfer happened about 3 years ago.

The time limits for a Qualified Disclaimer are unfortunately quite strict - generally 9 months from when the interest in the property was created. Since your situation happened 3 years ago, you're well beyond that timeframe. In your case, since so much time has passed, you're likely looking at either the gift approach that others have mentioned (with potential gift tax filing requirements) or potentially exploring whether there were legal issues with the original transfer that could be addressed. That would require consulting with a real estate attorney who specializes in title issues.

The capital gains exclusion only applies to primary residences though, right? OP didn't specify what kind of property this is, but it sounds like it might be investment property or land.

I wouldn't recommend this approach. While it might have worked for you, the IRS has gotten much stricter about document alterations. They generally reject hand-modified tax documents now and could potentially flag your return for review, which would delay processing even further.

I tried that but couldn't get through the identity verification - it kept asking for a credit card number that matches my name and address, but my card is pretty new and I've moved recently. Is there another way to verify?

If you can't get through the online verification, you can use the "Get Transcript by Mail" option instead. It takes about 5-10 days to arrive but doesn't require the same strict verification. Alternatively, you can file Form 4506-T and specify that you want the Wage and Income transcripts for your missing years. Another option is to try calling your previous employers' HR departments directly. Many larger companies have systems to provide past employees with W-2 copies, even from several years back. Sometimes this is faster than waiting for the IRS transcripts.

You can also deduct a portion of car maintenance based on business use percentage. I track my total annual miles and what percentage was for rideshare, then deduct that same percentage of oil changes, tire rotations, etc.

That's actually really helpful to know! I never thought about deducting maintenance costs that way. Did you have to provide extra documentation when you filed, or is just keeping your receipts enough in case of an audit?