Just wanted to add another perspective since I went through this last year. If your LLC didn't make any money, you should consider whether it's actually a hobby and not a business. The IRS looks at your "profit motive" and if you're not trying to make money, those expenses might not be deductible. I tried to deduct losses for my "craft business" LLC for 3 years and got audited. They disallowed everything because I couldn't prove I was really trying to make a profit vs just doing it for fun. Just something to consider!

DEFINITELY file a Schedule C!! I made this mistake a few years ago thinking I didn't need to because my LLC had almost no income, and I missed out on thousands in potential deductions. The expenses from your LLC can offset income from other sources (W2 jobs, investments, etc). One thing - make sure you keep your business and personal expenses 100% separate. The IRS scrutinizes single-member LLCs because people often try to write off personal stuff as business expenses.

Your real estate friends are missing something huge: opportunity cost. When you don't have a mortgage, you have all that cash flow to invest elsewhere. If we assume a $300k mortgage at 4%, you're paying about $12k/year in interest initially. The tax savings might be $2-3k depending on your bracket. So you're spending $12k to save $3k... meanwhile the mortgage-free person has an extra $24k+ (principal + interest) to invest every year! I paid my house off 3 years ago and have put the equivalent of my old mortgage payment into index funds. The growth has far exceeded any tax benefit I would've received.

You're absolutely right to trust your instincts here! The mortgage interest deduction is one of the most persistent financial myths out there, and it's frustrating how confidently people repeat it. The math is simple: if you're paying $15,000 in mortgage interest and you're in the 22% tax bracket, you save about $3,300 in taxes. But you still paid $15,000! You're net negative $11,700 compared to paying no interest at all. What makes this even worse is that many people don't even benefit from the mortgage interest deduction anymore. With the standard deduction at $27,700 for married filing jointly in 2023, your total itemized deductions (mortgage interest + state taxes + charitable donations + medical expenses) need to exceed that amount for itemizing to even make sense. I see this misconception all the time in tax season - people genuinely believe they're "making money" on their mortgage interest. Your brother-in-law probably means well, but remember that real estate professionals have a vested interest in people having mortgages. Congratulations on paying off your home! That's a huge accomplishment and you're in a much stronger financial position than people carrying mortgage debt just for a partial tax break.

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!

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!

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!

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.

mine took 6 months to unfreeze last year. hang in there!

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!