In April 2016 we moved from our home in one state to another 2500 miles away at considerable expense in order to start an automobile repair shop (I had previously lived in this state and had a repair shop at that time until retirement, and moving out of state).

Things changed in life, so I found I needed the income from a shop to survive, and where we returned to offered superior opportunities-hence the move. We purchased 5 ac to site both the shop and our residence for a short (100ft) commute (as we had a5 years earlier).

We purchased the land first, and had intended to build the shop FIRST so that when the house was done, I could start my business almost immediately, but the county had altered its permit system to where they would no longer allow a shop to be built before the house was permitted. Unfortunately, the house was completed late (couldn't move in until April 16) given permitting delays and winter weather in the Pacific Northwest, we couldn't get the shop building permit until 5 mo after moving in (Sept 16), and the shop structure wasn't finished (building inspection) until this January, and we are still working to get the electrical and natural gas inspections.

This is a serious shop (32ft X 60ft with 4 service bays, a vehicle lift, and office space), so it was a considerable investment approaching $100,000 just for the building and contents so far.

So obviously we were not able to get the business licensed and permitted in the same year we moved to the new location.

Are any of our moving expenses (well over $15,000 spent) deductible in 2016, or at all? Are any of the expenses incurred in building the shop deductible for 2016?

Thanks,
Bob