Deductions & credits

In general, startup costs must be amortized over 15 years.  There is a special provision if costs are less than $50,000, that allows some of the costs to be taken as an immediate expense, but that does not seem to apply here.

 

I think @Anonymous_ or @AmeliesUncle might have more insight into whether there are other important tax differences between buying a business versus starting a new business.