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One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet - make sure you understand the timing of when you can claim these deductions. Since this is new construction, you'll typically claim the medical expense deductions in the tax year when the house is completed and you move in, not when you pay for construction draws throughout the building process. Also, if you're financing the construction, only the actual out-of-pocket costs for the medical modifications count toward your medical expense deduction - you can't deduct the portion that's financed until you actually pay it. This caught me off guard when we built our accessible home. Keep a separate ledger tracking just the medical-related accessibility costs as construction progresses. It'll make tax time much easier and help if you ever need to provide documentation to the IRS. Having everything organized from the start is way better than trying to sort through months of construction invoices later!
This is such important timing information! I'm glad you brought this up because we're still in the early construction phase and I was wondering about when to claim these deductions. So just to clarify - even though we're paying construction draws monthly, we can't claim the medical portions as deductions until the house is actually completed and we move in? That makes sense but I hadn't thought about it that way. We're planning to finish construction in late 2025, so I guess these deductions would go on our 2025 tax return then. Thanks for the tip about keeping a separate ledger - I'm definitely going to start tracking the accessibility costs separately from day one!
One additional resource that might help - the National MS Society actually has a tax guide specifically for people with MS that covers home modifications and new construction. I used it when we were dealing with similar questions for my sister's accessible home build. They break down exactly what documentation you need from your neurologist and how to work with contractors to get the cost breakdowns the IRS wants to see. The guide also has sample letters you can use to request the medical necessity documentation from your doctor. You can find it on their website under resources for financial assistance. It's much more detailed than the general IRS publications when it comes to MS-specific accommodations. Since you mentioned your MS has progressed to needing these accommodations, having MS-specific guidance really helped us understand which features were most likely to qualify and how to present them properly on the tax return. Good luck with your build! It's so worth it to have a home that truly works for your needs.
I feel your pain! I had a similar situation with my 2021 return - code 810 freeze that lasted forever. The zero AGI showing on your transcript is definitely a red flag that might be triggering additional reviews. Have you checked if all your W-2s and 1099s were properly reported? Sometimes mismatched income info can cause these extended freezes. Also try calling the practitioner priority line early morning (7am) - I had better luck getting through that way. Keep us posted on any updates!
Called the IRS about this exact thing last week. Was on hold for 2.5 hours just to get disconnected π
Had this exact same situation last year! The key thing to remember is that these are two separate review processes that can run parallel. For the 4464, you'll need to verify your identity either online through ID.me or by scheduling an appointment at a Taxpayer Assistance Center. Don't wait on this one - it has strict deadlines. The CP05 income verification will continue its own timeline regardless. Pro tip: once you complete the identity verification, call the number on your CP05 letter to let them know - sometimes it can speed up the income review process since they'll have confirmation you're legit.
This is super helpful! Quick question - when you called the CP05 number after completing identity verification, did you notice any actual speedup in processing? Or was it more just for your peace of mind? I'm dealing with both letters right now and trying to figure out if that extra call is worth the inevitable hold time π
This is such helpful information! I'm in a similar situation with a Japanese client and have been putting off dealing with the Form 8802 because it seemed so complicated. Reading through everyone's experiences makes it feel much more manageable. One question I have - when you submit Form 8802, do you need to include copies of your previous tax returns or other supporting documents? Or is just the completed form sufficient? I want to make sure I have everything ready before I submit so I don't get delayed like some of you experienced. Also, for those who successfully got their withholding reduced, did your Japanese clients require any advance notice before they could implement the lower rate? I'm wondering if I should give my client a heads up that this certificate is coming.
Great questions! For Form 8802, you typically don't need to include copies of tax returns with your initial submission - just the completed form and the $85 fee. However, the IRS may request additional documentation during processing if they need to verify your tax compliance status. Regarding advance notice to your Japanese client - yes, definitely give them a heads up! Most Japanese companies need 1-2 months advance notice to process the paperwork on their end and coordinate with their local tax office. They'll also need time to prepare that Japanese "Application Form for Income Tax Convention" that Alice mentioned. I'd recommend reaching out to your client as soon as you submit your Form 8802 to let them know the certificate is coming and ask what their internal process looks like for implementing the reduced withholding rate.
I went through this exact process last year and wanted to add a few practical tips that really helped me. First, when you're filling out Form 8802, make sure to be very specific in Section 6 about your business activities with Japan. Don't just write "consulting" - describe exactly what services you provide because the IRS needs to determine which treaty article applies to your income. Also, keep detailed records of all your Japanese withholding statements (the documents showing the 10.21% withheld). You'll need these for your U.S. tax return to claim foreign tax credits, and having them organized makes the whole process smoother. One thing that surprised me was that my Japanese client's accounting department needed about 6 weeks to update their systems once I provided the Form 6166 certificate. They had to coordinate with their local tax office and update their payroll system. So even after you get your certificate, there might be a delay before you see the reduced withholding in your payments. Just plan for that timing when you're budgeting your cash flow. The whole process was definitely worth it though - going from 10.21% to 0% withholding made a huge difference in my monthly income!
Alina Rosenthal
I had this exact same problem a few weeks ago! The "invalid address" error when trying to open available transcripts is so frustrating, especially when you can literally see them listed right there on the page. What finally worked for me was a combination of things: 1. Switching to Microsoft Edge (seems to handle the IRS PDF system better than other browsers) 2. Making sure to access during their "good" hours - usually 7 AM to 6 PM EST 3. Disabling any browser extensions that might interfere with PDFs 4. Most importantly - if you get the error, don't keep clicking the same transcript link repeatedly. Wait about 5 minutes and try again, or try a different year's transcript first The IRS website architecture is honestly terrible, but once you find the right combination that works for your setup, it should be consistent. I can now reliably access my transcripts using Edge in the morning hours. Also heads up - if you're accessing from a work network or using any security software, that can sometimes trigger the "invalid address" error even when the link is perfectly valid. Hope this helps and you get it sorted!
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Pedro Sawyer
β’The Edge recommendation is spot on! I've noticed government sites in general seem to work better with Microsoft browsers - probably because they're optimized for whatever antiquated systems these agencies are running. Your tip about not clicking repeatedly is really smart too - I've definitely been guilty of spam-clicking when frustrated, which probably just makes things worse. The work network interference point is interesting - never thought about how corporate firewalls might mess with the IRS PDF delivery system. Thanks for sharing what worked for you!
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Andre Lefebvre
I've been dealing with this same issue for months! The "invalid address" error on sa.www4.irs.gov is incredibly frustrating when you can see your transcripts right there but can't access them. What finally solved it for me was a combination of several fixes: 1. **Browser matters a lot** - Edge or Firefox work way better than Chrome for IRS PDFs 2. **Timing is everything** - Try between 6-9 AM EST when their servers aren't overloaded 3. **Complete logout/login cycle** - Don't just refresh, actually log out completely and log back in 4. **Check your PDF settings** - Make sure your browser is set to open PDFs inline, not download them 5. **Disable browser extensions** - Especially ad blockers and privacy extensions that might interfere The most important thing I learned is that this error usually means their PDF generation system is overloaded or having issues, not that there's actually an invalid address. It's a terrible error message that doesn't reflect what's actually happening behind the scenes. Also, if you're still stuck, try accessing from a different network entirely - sometimes ISP routing can cause weird issues with government sites. I know it's ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops just to access our own tax documents, but unfortunately that's the reality with the IRS website architecture. Hope one of these solutions works for you!
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Liam Murphy
β’This is such a comprehensive breakdown - thank you! The PDF settings tip is something I never would have considered. I've been struggling with this same error for weeks and getting nowhere. Going to try the complete logout/login cycle first since that seems like the easiest fix. It's honestly ridiculous that accessing our own tax documents requires troubleshooting like we're IT professionals. The IRS really needs to invest in their web infrastructure instead of making taxpayers figure out workarounds for basic functionality.
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