I've been dealing with IRS delays myself and found that persistence with the phone system really does pay off eventually. One thing that helped me was calling the IRS Collections line at 800-829-7650 instead of the main number - it sounds counterintuitive, but when they answer, you can explain that you're calling about a refund delay and they'll often transfer you to the right department. The wait times seemed shorter on this line in my experience. Also, if you're comfortable with it, try reaching out to your local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center. Even though they're not taking walk-ins right now, some locations will take calls and can sometimes provide more detailed information than the national hotlines. One more tip - when you do get through to someone, ask them to put detailed notes in your account about what they find and what they tell you. That way if you need to call again, the next agent can see the history instead of starting from scratch. I learned this the hard way after having to explain my situation multiple times to different agents. The 3-month delay you're experiencing is unfortunately pretty common right now, but don't give up. Your refund will come through!

I went through this exact same nightmare last year and finally got results using a multi-pronged approach. Here's what worked for me: **Phone Strategy:** Call 800-829-1040 at exactly 7:00 AM EST on Tuesday or Wednesday. Press 1 for English, then immediately press 2-1-3-2 without waiting for the prompts to finish completely. When it asks about forms, don't say anything - just wait in complete silence for about 20 seconds and it should transfer you to a live agent. **Documentation Tip:** Before calling, gather your filing confirmation, any IRS notices you've received, and write down your exact filing date. When you do reach an agent, be very specific: "I filed on [date], it's been X days, and I need to know the specific reason for the delay." This gets much better results than just asking "where's my refund?" **Backup Options:** - Try the Taxpayer Advocate Service at 877-777-4778 (mention if the delay is causing any financial hardship) - Call the Collections line at 800-829-7650 and ask to be transferred to refund inquiry - Contact your Congressional representative's office - they have caseworkers who deal with IRS issues **What to Expect:** 3-month delays are unfortunately common right now, especially if your return has certain credits or needs manual review. The agents can see much more detail than the "Where's My Refund" tool shows. Don't give up - persistence really does pay off with the IRS phone system!

I've been reading through all these suggestions and they're incredibly helpful! As someone who's currently in a similar situation trying to track down old W2s, I wanted to share one additional method that worked for me - checking old credit card and bank account applications. When I was going through my files, I found several old credit applications where I had to list my employment history and income. These applications had employer names, addresses, and even approximate dates of employment that I'd completely forgotten about. Similarly, old loan applications (car loans, personal loans, etc.) often require detailed employment information that can help piece together your work history. I also discovered that some of my old employers were listed as references on rental applications, which helped me remember a couple of short-term jobs from several years ago. It's amazing how much employment information we document in other contexts without realizing it could be useful for tax purposes later. The combination of these records plus the IRS transcripts and state unemployment office suggestions mentioned here should give most people enough information to reconstruct their employment history. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences - it's really encouraging to see so many people successfully navigate this process!

This thread has been incredibly comprehensive! I'm in a very similar situation and have been putting off filing for years due to missing documentation. Reading through everyone's experiences and solutions has given me so much hope that this is actually manageable. I wanted to add one more approach that might help - if you've ever applied for any government benefits or programs (unemployment benefits, food assistance, Medicaid, etc.), those applications typically require detailed employment history and income information. I found my old unemployment application from 2021 that listed employers I'd completely forgotten about, along with their addresses and the dates I worked there. Also, if you have any old tax preparation software receipts in your email (even from years you didn't complete filing), those often contain employer information from when you started entering your data. I found a TurboTax receipt from 2022 that reminded me of a part-time job I'd had. The combination of all these methods - IRS transcripts, state unemployment records, old applications, VITA assistance, and document archaeology through emails and files - really does provide multiple paths to reconstruct your employment history. It's reassuring to know there are so many people who've successfully navigated this process and gotten caught up. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and creating such a helpful resource for those of us trying to get our tax situations straightened out!

Honestly might be worth checking if any of these places offer free consultations first. I've heard some will at least look over your docs and give you a rough estimate of complexity/cost before you commit. That way you can shop around without getting locked into their fees upfront.

Just want to add that regardless of which chain you choose, bring ALL your documents organized beforehand. I've seen people get charged extra fees just because they showed up unprepared and the preparer had to spend more time sorting through their stuff. Also, double-check everything before you sign - these places can get busy during tax season and mistakes happen more often when they're rushing through returns.

Don't overthink the building management fees! I spent hours researching this same question last year. The admin fee and move-in fee are definitely deductible in year 1 as rental expenses. The working capital contribution is trickier - technically it's a deposit into the building's reserve, so it's not immediately deductible. Also, make sure TurboTax is prorating your expenses correctly for the partial year. For things like property taxes and insurance, you can only deduct the portion that applies to when the property was actually a rental (Oct-Dec in your case). So that would be 3/12 of your annual amounts. This might be why some of your numbers look off.

I had a very similar situation with my first rental property! Your cost basis calculation is definitely off - with a $520k purchase price, that $134,628 figure suggests there's an input error somewhere in TurboTax. A few things to double-check: 1. Make sure you entered the correct land/building allocation. Based on your tax assessment ($215k land, $100k improvements), you should allocate roughly 68% to land and 32% to building from your purchase price. 2. Verify you didn't accidentally enter a partial ownership percentage or put in the wrong purchase price. 3. The bathroom renovation ($15k) should be added to your depreciable basis since it was done before placing in service. Your depreciable basis should be approximately: ($520k - $353k land value) + $15k renovation = ~$182k for the building portion. For the closing costs, most of what you listed (recording fees, title insurance, legal fees) get capitalized into your basis rather than expensed immediately. The admin fee and move-in fee to building management can typically be expensed in year 1, but the working capital contribution is usually treated as a capital asset. Also make sure TurboTax is correctly prorating your expenses for the 3-month rental period (Oct-Dec). Your actual deductible expenses should be much higher than $257 for three months of operation.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation with my raw land investment, and after going through this whole process last tax season, I wanted to share what I learned that might help you avoid some mistakes I made. First, you're absolutely right to be thinking about this now - documentation is everything with raw land improvements. The IRS is particularly strict about these deductions because so many people try to inappropriately deduct capital improvements as current expenses. Your gate, road work, and electrical installation are definitely capital improvements that must be added to your cost basis. However, don't overlook the expenses you CAN deduct currently: property taxes you've paid, interest on any loans used for the purchase or improvements, and professional fees (surveys, legal, etc.). One thing I wish I'd known earlier - start tracking whether your improvements are "land improvements" versus potential "depreciable assets" for when you eventually develop. Your underground electrical work, depending on how it's installed, might have components that qualify for depreciation once you build and place rental property in service. Also consider whether you want to explore any income-generating activities on the property (like the hunting leases someone mentioned) that could change your tax treatment. Even small amounts of income can sometimes shift how the IRS views your property from pure investment to income-producing. Keep every receipt, take photos, and document the business purpose of each expense. When you eventually sell or develop, this preparation will save you thousands in taxes and potential audit headaches.

I've been through a similar situation with my raw land investment, and I want to emphasize something that saved me from making a costly mistake. While everyone is correctly pointing out that your improvements need to be capitalized, make sure you're not accidentally capitalizing expenses that you CAN deduct currently. I was initially capitalizing everything because I was scared of getting it wrong, but my tax professional showed me I was missing legitimate current deductions like the property taxes I'd been paying, interest on the acquisition loan, and even some professional fees for surveys and legal consultations related to the improvements. Also, keep detailed records of the exact nature of each improvement. Your $12,500 electrical work, for example - if part of that was just getting service to your property line versus installing infrastructure for future buildings, those might be treated differently down the road. The utility company should have itemized billing that shows connection fees versus infrastructure installation. One more tip: if you're planning to eventually develop this into rental property, consider consulting with a tax professional who specializes in real estate development now rather than waiting. They can help you structure your documentation and future improvements in ways that maximize your depreciation benefits once you do start developing. The upfront consultation cost is tiny compared to the potential tax savings over the life of the investment.