Deductions and Write-Offs

Yes. If the courses qualify as deductible educational expenses to improve and maintain your job skills, then the local transportation and travel away from home are deductible. The costs of transportation from your job to school is fully deductible and from school back home is deductible only if school is considered to be on a temporary basis (school will last 1 year or less is temporary basis). The deductible educational expenses will be taken on Form 2106 or on Schedule A, as a miscellaneous deduction subject to the 2% limitation.

No deduction is allowed for costs of travel claimed as a form of education to maintain familiarity with the country's culture or language or customs.

No. Unless this investing is your primary business, it cannot be claimed as a home office deduction.

No. There is no deduction allowed for a loss on a personal residence.

The travel from one job location to a second job location is deductible. The travel from your home to the first job location and from your second job location returning home is considered commuting and not deductible. For the current year you are allowed 55.5 cents per mile for business miles driven, which would be claimed on Schedule A as a miscellaneous itemized deduction subject to the 2% limitation.

Yes. Raffle, lottery and sweepstakes winnings are taxable as any other income on your tax return. Generally the amount reported will represent the prize's fair market value. The costs of the raffle, lottery or sweepstake tickets (to the extent of the winnings)are deductible as a Miscellaneous itemized deduction not subject to the 2 % limitation.

An individual's share of partnership losses (reportable to a partner on a schedule K-1) may not exceed the adjusted basis of the partnership interest. The basis is generally the original capital paid, plus accumulated taxed earnings that have not been withdrawn, less withdrawals.
Partners are subject to the at-risk loss limitation and the passive activity loss limitation rules.
The at-risk limit affects the amount of the loss to the portion that that partner is personally liable for. Generally a passive loss is limited to either passive income or up to $25,000 if there is active participation in a rental real estate activity.
There is no easy way to explain these rules. Please contact a local CPA to determine the deductibility of the loss reported on Schedule K-1. This area of the tax code is quite complex and confusing to many.

In general the costs of commuting between a taxpayer's home and work location are non-deductible personal expenses. There are exceptions to this rule for commuting to a temporary work location.
If you purchase an auto that you use for work (i.e. a salesman)you may claim the actual unreimbursed expenses or the IRS mileage allowance, whichever is higher. The expense is claimed on IRS Form 2106.
There are limitations on the actual expenses that may be taken each year. In the current year, the standard mileage rate is 56.5 cents per milefor business miles driven.
The maximum first year actual depreciation deduction is $11,160 if bonus depreciation claimed. Speak to your local CPA if you are commuting to a temporary work location or need guidance in your first year actual verses mileage expense election.

Yes. You may take the full year's exemption amount even though she only lived with you for 2 months of the tax year. A full year's exemption amount would also be available for dependents born during the year.