Alright guys, its that time of year again. This will be the third year in a row that I'll be getting a giant refund. It won't be the $6000 that I got last year, but it'll be in the mid-$3000 range, which is about what I got the year before last.
I'm able to write a lot of things off because of the rental property I own that was purchased in "barely standing" condition. New HVAC, wiring. roof, kitchen, bathroom, not to mention the gallons of paint, drywall mud and lumber that I've thrown at it. I didn't want to go into debt to fix it up, so I've been slowly doing the improvements and repairs as my funds allow, but that means they've been spread over several years, and that means I'm going to have 3 giant tax returns in a year.
I'd really like to avoid getting audited, especially since I did an awful job keeping track of receipts and invoices the first year I owned the house. Anything I can do? Any deductions I should definitely NOT take, even if they're valid?