But how do you prove you're "open for business" if your website isn't even live yet? Seems like that would be a red flag.

You don't necessarily need a live website to be "open for business" in the IRS's eyes. What matters is that you've taken concrete steps toward operating as a business with the intent to make a profit. Things like having business cards made, attending networking events to find potential clients, developing product prototypes, contacting vendors, creating marketing materials, or setting up business infrastructure all count as evidence. It's about demonstrating that you're actively working toward operating a business, not just thinking about it. Document everything you're doing toward launching - this creates your paper trail of business intent.

Did ur tax guy mention anything about having to make a profit in 3 out of 5 years? I heard the IRS considers it a hobby if u keep losing money year after year.

That's a really good point I hadn't considered. Do you know if there's any resource specifically about Arizona's policies on this? I definitely want to avoid surprise tax bills from AZ after I've moved to Indiana.

I don't know Arizona's specific rules, but I'd recommend calling the Arizona Department of Revenue directly. That's what I did with California. For what it's worth, most states follow the federal treatment and don't try to tax the gain immediately, but some have started implementing these clawback provisions to prevent losing tax revenue when property owners leave the state. Usually there's a form you need to file acknowledging the deferred gain and agreeing to file nonresident returns if you later sell the replacement property.

Is that really a thing? I thought QIs weren't actually licensed in most states. They're not like real estate agents with state-specific licenses. At least that's what I understood.

Do students ever qualify for any special moving deductions or credits? I'm planning to move for my first job after graduation and wondering if I can deduct anything.

Unfortunately, moving expenses are no longer deductible for most people since the 2017 tax law changes. The only exception is for active-duty military members moving due to military orders. As a student starting your first job after graduation, you likely won't have any federal tax deductions for moving expenses. However, some states still allow moving expense deductions on their state returns. Also, if your new employer provides any relocation assistance, that's typically taxable income, but sometimes employers will "gross up" the payment to cover the tax impact.

FreeTaxUSA doesn't handle everything correctly tho. My gf used it last year and it messed up her education credits. She had to file an amendment. Sometimes paying more for a professional is worth it if they catch things software might miss.

I've been considering attending a fitness business summit in Vegas this summer. If I go primarily for the conference but stay an extra day for personal time, can I still deduct most of the travel costs? And what about bringing my girlfriend along?

You can definitely deduct most of your travel costs for the conference. The days you spend at the business event, along with travel days to and from the location, are fully deductible for your expenses (hotel, transportation to/from conference, etc.). For bringing your girlfriend along, you can only deduct what the cost would have been if you traveled alone. So if the hotel room costs the same whether one or two people stay there, you can deduct the full room cost. But you can't deduct her flight, her meals, or any expenses that are specifically for her. And for that extra personal day, you can't deduct lodging or meals for that day - only your business days are deductible.

Is this the same as the pass-through deduction? My tax guy mentioned it last year but I didn't really understand it. Does it apply to single-member LLCs too?

I did pay my TurboTax fees upfront with my credit card, so that shouldn't be affecting my refund amount. My tax transcript specifically shows the full amount of $3,892 as the intended refund. This is so frustrating!

In that case, definitely sounds like an offset or calculation issue. One thing I've noticed is that sometimes the "Where's My Refund" tool and the transcript show different amounts. Have you checked the Where's My Refund tool on the IRS website to see if it shows a different expected amount than your transcript?

Not always an offset though. Sometimes it's a math error correction (MEC) which would show different codes like 29X series. I work in tax prep and see this pretty often - IRS recalculates something on the return and adjusts the refund but the notice explaining why comes weeks later.