Filing for a partnership with no revenue - How to submit Form 1065 online when we haven't had sales yet?

12 Yes, you absolutely need to file Form 1065 even if your partnership didn't have any sales. The requirement to file isn't based on having revenue - it's based on the existence of the partnership itself. The IRS wants to know about your business entity regardless of activity level. With no sales, your return will be fairly simple. You'll report the laptop as a business asset with depreciation. Even with minimal activity, you'll need to complete Schedule K-1 forms for both partners to report your respective shares of the partnership items (in this case, just the startup expenses and depreciation). You can file electronically using tax software like TaxAct, TaxSlayer, or others that support business returns. Many have specific modules for partnerships with minimal activity. The filing deadline for calendar-year partnerships was March 15, so you might need to request an extension if you haven't filed yet.

19 I was in a similar situation last year with my partnership. After struggling to figure out all the requirements myself, I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it was a game-changer for our partnership return. The tool analyzed our situation, confirmed we needed to file even with minimal activity, and guided us through exactly what forms and entries we needed for our no-revenue partnership. Their system is specifically built to handle unique situations like yours where standard "fill-in-the-blank" tax software gets confusing. It identified our laptop purchase as a depreciable asset and handled all the technical details for us. Much easier than trying to interpret IRS instructions or generic advice.

4 Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai for our partnership situation. Our circumstances were almost identical to yours - formed an LLC with my sister last year, bought some equipment, no actual sales yet. I was completely lost about how to handle the 1065 filing. The service was surprisingly straightforward. After uploading our formation documents and receipt for our equipment purchase, it identified exactly what we needed to file despite having no revenue. It handled the asset depreciation calculations and showed us how to properly allocate everything between partners. The best part was how it explained each section in plain English - helped us understand why we needed to file even with zero revenue. Definitely recommend for other new partnerships in the same boat!

8 If you're having trouble getting answers from the IRS about your specific situation, I'd recommend Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was going crazy trying to get through to an actual person at the IRS to confirm whether my no-revenue partnership needed to file and what penalties might apply for being late. After wasting hours on hold multiple times, I found their service which got me connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes instead of the typical 2+ hour wait. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent I spoke with confirmed that yes, we had to file regardless of revenue, but also gave me specific instructions on how to request penalty abatement as first-time business filers. Well worth it rather than guessing or relying on general online advice.

9 I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself because I had a similar partnership question that wasn't clearly answered on the IRS website. The service actually worked exactly as described. I was connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes when my previous attempts had me waiting over 2 hours before giving up. The agent gave me specific guidance about our no-revenue partnership and confirmed we could file a simplified information return. What really surprised me was getting personalized advice about how to document our "not yet operational" status to avoid scrutiny. Completely changed my filing approach and potentially saved us from future headaches. Never thought I'd say this, but talking to the actual IRS was incredibly helpful!

11 Is anyone else confused about the Schedule K-1 requirements for a partnership with zero income? Our CPA wants to charge us $400 to prepare these forms even though we literally did nothing last year except form the LLC.

22 Quick tip from someone who's been there - if you're filing late for your partnership, include a letter explaining that you're first-time business owners who were unaware of the filing requirements. The IRS often waives penalties for first-time filers if you have a reasonable explanation!