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Ella Russell
Quick question - do S-Corps still get the 20% pass-through deduction (QBI) like sole props do? I heard something about income limits and wasn't sure if S-Corps have different rules for that.
Yes, S-Corps are eligible for the 20% Qualified Business Income deduction. The same income thresholds apply ($170,050 for single filers and $340,100 for joint filers in 2025). Above those thresholds, limitations based on W-2 wages and qualified property start to phase in. Actually, this is where S-Corps can have an advantage over sole props for high earners. Since you're paying yourself a W-2 salary, that can help you qualify for larger QBI deductions if you're over the income threshold. It's a bit complicated but basically your W-2 wages to yourself can help satisfy the wage limitation tests.
Gavin King
S-Corps are awesome but no one talks about how the IRS scrutinizes them more. My friend got audited specifically because he took too much in distributions compared to salary. They reclassified a bunch of his distributions as wages retroactively and he owed a ton in back taxes + penalties. Make sure your salary vs distribution split can pass the smell test!
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Don't forget that even if your vacation rental qualifies as non-passive, you still need to watch out for the At-Risk Rules and Excess Business Loss limitations. These can limit how much of your losses you can deduct in a given year regardless of the passive/non-passive classification. I learned this the hard way last year when I thought I could deduct my entire $45k short-term rental loss, only to find out the Excess Business Loss rules limited my deduction to a much smaller amount. Just something to keep in mind as you work through this.
Natalie Chen
ā¢Thanks for mentioning this! What exactly are the Excess Business Loss limits for 2025? I've been so focused on the passive vs non-passive issue that I totally overlooked this potential limitation.
For 2025, the Excess Business Loss limitation is $300,000 for single filers and $600,000 for joint filers. This means if your total business losses exceed your business income by more than these thresholds, the excess gets carried forward to future years. For most people with a single vacation rental property, this limit isn't an issue. But if you have multiple properties or other business losses, it could come into play. The At-Risk Rules are potentially more relevant in your case - they limit your deductible losses to the amount you have "at risk" in the activity, which typically includes your cash investment, the portion of loans you're personally liable for, and certain qualified non-recourse financing.
Am i the only one who thinks its absurd that something this important isn't clearly spelled out in Pub 527?? Like why do we have to piece together info from random regulations and forums to figure this stuff out?
Ruby Garcia
ā¢Totally agree! I feel like half of tax law is hidden in obscure regulations that normal people would never find. It seems like they make it intentionally complicated.
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NebulaNomad
Something to check - did your benefits change at all during this transition? Sometimes when companies switch payroll systems, there are subtle changes to how pretax deductions are handled (like health insurance, 401k, HSA, etc). This can make a big difference in your taxable income and withholding. Also, if you live in a state with income tax, make sure both state and federal withholdings look correct. I've seen cases where the new system got federal right but completely messed up state withholding calculations.
Thanks for the suggestion! My health insurance premium did actually increase slightly during this period, but the pretax deduction amount seems correct. I'll definitely double-check my state withholding though - I hadn't even thought to look at that separately! I'm in Minnesota, and now that you mention it, the state withholding does look a bit different on the new paystubs compared to federal. I'll compare the percentages to make sure everything adds up.
Luca Ferrari
Has anyone suggested just talking to your payroll department directly? When my company switched from ADP to Workday last year, there were a bunch of withholding issues. Turns out they had imported some of the employee data incorrectly. When I showed them my old vs new paystubs, they fixed it immediately. Could save you a lot of trouble!
Nia Wilson
ā¢This is good advice. I work in HR and I can tell you we WANT to know about these issues. Sometimes during system migrations, default settings get applied instead of employee-specific ones. We can't fix what we don't know about!
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Have you tried just manually filling out Form 8965 and attaching it to your return? I had a similar issue with TaxAct last year and ended up just downloading the form from the IRS website, filling it out by hand, and attaching it to my printed return. For 2018, you can use exemption code G for general hardship on Form 8965, Part III. You don't need an ECN - just enter the code and the months it applies to. If you're e-filing, you might need to try different tax software, but if you're mailing your return, this workaround definitely works.
Aaron Boston
ā¢Would I still use TurboTax to do the rest of my return and just attach this form separately? I'm a little worried about how that would work with e-filing. Has anyone successfully done that?
You'd still complete the rest of your return in TurboTax, but when it comes to filing, you'd need to print and mail the return instead of e-filing. Just print everything from TurboTax, then attach your manually completed Form 8965. The downside is you'd have to paper file, which means a slower refund if you're getting one. But it's better than paying a penalty you don't owe! Another option might be to check out FreeTaxUSA or another software that might have updated their systems correctly for the 2018 hardship exemption changes.
Kaitlyn Otto
Just to confirm what others have said - I was in the exact same situation for my 2018 taxes (unemployed most of the year). I ended up switching from TurboTax to FreeTaxUSA which handled the hardship exemption correctly without asking for an ECN. It let me enter exemption code G directly on the equivalent of Form 8965 and calculated everything correctly. Might be worth trying if you don't want to paper file or deal with calling the IRS. Their deluxe version is also way cheaper than TurboTax if you still need to file.
Axel Far
ā¢Was it complicated to switch software mid-way through doing your taxes? Did you have to re-enter everything?
Sophia Rodriguez
Something to consider that hasn't been mentioned - if you have documentation showing you reported everything correctly, you should absolutely challenge this! The IRS makes mistakes ALL THE TIME. Last year they sent me a similar notice claiming I had "substantially understated" my income by not reporting a 1099-R distribution, but I had included it on the correct line of my return. I sent them a detailed response with copies of my return highlighting where I had reported the amount and a copy of the 1099-R form. They reversed the entire penalty about 8 weeks later. Don't automatically assume you're in the wrong!
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Mia Green
ā¢How exactly did you format your response? Did you use any specific IRS forms or just write a letter explaining the situation?
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Sophia Rodriguez
ā¢I wrote a formal letter that referenced the notice number and my tax ID at the top. I didn't use a specific IRS form, but made sure my letter was very clear and organized. I started with a direct statement: "I am writing to request abatement of the substantial understatement penalty because all income was properly reported on my original return." Then I included a table showing exactly where each item appeared on my return with line numbers and amounts. I attached highlighted copies of both my filed return and the 1099 forms, with the relevant numbers circled. I find that making it super easy for them to see the evidence increases your chances of success. Don't make them hunt for information or they might just deny your request due to lack of clear documentation.
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Emma Bianchi
Has anyone used tax software to help deal with these kinds of notices? I'm wondering if TurboTax or H&R Block have any special features for responding to IRS letters about substantial understatement.
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Lucas Kowalski
ā¢Most tax software doesn't have great features for handling notices after filing. TurboTax has an "audit support" feature but it's pretty basic - mostly just gives you general guidance. H&R Block offers actual representation if you pay for their Peace of Mind extended service, but that's something you have to purchase when you file, not after you get a notice.
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