Matthew Sercily talks showing no income but coming out ahead.
#smij says: Don't fear the IRS. Exploit the tax code to your advantage.
Discussion
There is more nuance to this. If you follow the example of the Uber driver business (or most any business) and don't show a profit in 3 of 5 years, the IRS could say your business is a hobby...and disallow your deductions.....
You don't want to end up owing back taxes plus penalties on those taxes just so you can write off a trip to Vegas 😉