diff --git a/src/components/Reports/AdditionalSalaryRequest/Shared/useAdditionalSalaryRequestForm.test.tsx b/src/components/Reports/AdditionalSalaryRequest/Shared/useAdditionalSalaryRequestForm.test.tsx
index 6e3500f3c8..85173f6754 100644
--- a/src/components/Reports/AdditionalSalaryRequest/Shared/useAdditionalSalaryRequestForm.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Reports/AdditionalSalaryRequest/Shared/useAdditionalSalaryRequestForm.test.tsx
@@ -435,6 +435,26 @@ describe('useAdditionalSalaryRequestForm', () => {
       expect(errors.childrenCollegeEducation).toContain('$21,000.00');
     });
 
+    it('should accept empty string for currency fields', async () => {
+      const { result } = renderHook(
+        () =>
+          useAdditionalSalaryRequestForm({
+            ...defaultFormValues,
+            adoption: '',
+            phoneNumber: '555-123-4567',
+            emailAddress: 'test@example.com',
+          }),
+        { wrapper: TestWrapper },
+      );
+
+      let errors: Record<string, string> = {};
+      await act(async () => {
+        errors = await result.current.validateForm();
+      });
+
+      expect(errors.adoption).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+
     it('should validate additional info when exceedsCap is true', async () => {
       const { result } = renderHook(
         () =>
diff --git a/src/components/Reports/AdditionalSalaryRequest/Shared/useAdditionalSalaryRequestForm.ts b/src/components/Reports/AdditionalSalaryRequest/Shared/useAdditionalSalaryRequestForm.ts
index 97e28ae0ff..f49c0acc4b 100644
--- a/src/components/Reports/AdditionalSalaryRequest/Shared/useAdditionalSalaryRequestForm.ts
+++ b/src/components/Reports/AdditionalSalaryRequest/Shared/useAdditionalSalaryRequestForm.ts
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ export const useAdditionalSalaryRequestForm = (
 
   const createCurrencyValidation = useCallback(
     (fieldName: string, max?: number) => {
-      let schema = amount(fieldName, t);
+      let schema = amount(fieldName, t).nullable();
       if (max !== null && max !== undefined) {
         schema = schema.max(
           max,
@@ -121,33 +121,36 @@ export const useAdditionalSalaryRequestForm = (
     emailAddress: user?.staffInfo?.emailAddress || '',
   } as CompleteFormValues;
 
-  const initialValues: CompleteFormValues = useMemo(() => {
-    if (providedInitialValues) {
-      return providedInitialValues;
-    }
+  const initialValuesRef = useRef<CompleteFormValues | null>(null);
 
-    const request = requestData?.latestAdditionalSalaryRequest;
-    if (!request) {
-      return defaultInitialValues;
+  if (!initialValuesRef.current) {
+    if (providedInitialValues) {
+      initialValuesRef.current = providedInitialValues;
+    } else {
+      const request = requestData?.latestAdditionalSalaryRequest;
+      if (request) {
+        initialValuesRef.current = {
+          ...Object.fromEntries(
+            fieldConfig.map(({ key }) => [
+              key,
+              String((request[key as keyof typeof request] as number) ?? ''),
+            ]),
+          ),
+          deductTaxDeferredPercent: request.deductTaxDeferredPercent || false,
+          deductRothPercent: request.deductRothPercent || false,
+          phoneNumber:
+            request.phoneNumber || user?.staffInfo?.primaryPhoneNumber || '',
+          emailAddress:
+            request.emailAddress || user?.staffInfo?.emailAddress || '',
+          totalAdditionalSalaryRequested:
+            request.totalAdditionalSalaryRequested || '',
+          additionalInfo: request.additionalInfo || '',
+        } as CompleteFormValues;
+      }
     }
+  }
 
-    return {
-      ...Object.fromEntries(
-        fieldConfig.map(({ key }) => [
-          key,
-          String((request[key as keyof typeof request] as number) ?? ''),
-        ]),
-      ),
-      deductTaxDeferredPercent: request.deductTaxDeferredPercent || false,
-      deductRothPercent: request.deductRothPercent || false,
-      phoneNumber:
-        request.phoneNumber || user?.staffInfo?.primaryPhoneNumber || '',
-      emailAddress: request.emailAddress || user?.staffInfo?.emailAddress || '',
-      totalAdditionalSalaryRequested:
-        request.totalAdditionalSalaryRequested || '',
-      additionalInfo: request.additionalInfo || '',
-    } as CompleteFormValues;
-  }, [providedInitialValues, requestData?.latestAdditionalSalaryRequest, user]);
+  const initialValues = initialValuesRef.current ?? defaultInitialValues;
 
   const getMaxForField = useCallback(
     (field: (typeof fieldConfig)[number]): number | undefined => {
@@ -188,12 +191,11 @@ export const useAdditionalSalaryRequestForm = (
             function () {
               const total = getTotal(this.parent as CompleteFormValues);
 
-              if (total > 0) {
+              if (total >= 0) {
                 lastValidTotalRef.current = total;
               }
-              const stableTotal = total > 0 ? total : lastValidTotalRef.current;
 
-              return stableTotal <= primaryAccountBalance;
+              return lastValidTotalRef.current <= primaryAccountBalance;
             },
           ),
         additionalInfo: yup
diff --git a/src/components/Reports/AdditionalSalaryRequest/SharedComponents/ValidationAlert.tsx b/src/components/Reports/AdditionalSalaryRequest/SharedComponents/ValidationAlert.tsx
index 028c55f1e8..0f6fae809c 100644
--- a/src/components/Reports/AdditionalSalaryRequest/SharedComponents/ValidationAlert.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Reports/AdditionalSalaryRequest/SharedComponents/ValidationAlert.tsx
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { fieldConfig } from '../Shared/useAdditionalSalaryRequestForm';
 
 export const ValidationAlert: React.FC = () => {
   const { t } = useTranslation();
-  const { submitCount, isValid, values, errors } =
+  const { submitCount, values, errors } =
     useFormikContext<CompleteFormValues>();
   const { salaryInfo, isInternational } = useAdditionalSalaryRequest();
 
@@ -35,25 +35,31 @@ export const ValidationAlert: React.FC = () => {
       .map(({ label }) => t(label));
   }, [submitCount, salaryInfo, isInternational, values, t]);
 
-  if (!submitCount || isValid) {
+  const hasRequiredErrors = Object.keys(errors).some((key) =>
+    ['phoneNumber', 'emailAddress', 'additionalInfo'].includes(key),
+  );
+
+  const hasErrors =
+    hasRequiredErrors ||
+    exceedingLimitFields.length > 0 ||
+    !!errors.totalAdditionalSalaryRequested;
+
+  if (!submitCount || !hasErrors) {
     return null;
   }
 
-  const hasFieldErrors = Object.keys(errors).some(
-    (key) => key !== 'totalAdditionalSalaryRequested',
-  );
-
   return (
     <Alert severity="error" sx={{ mt: 2, '& ul': { m: 0, pl: 3 } }}>
       {t('Your form is missing information.')}
       <ul>
-        {hasFieldErrors && (
+        {hasRequiredErrors && (
           <li>{t('Please enter a value for all required fields.')}</li>
         )}
         {exceedingLimitFields.length > 0 && (
           <li>
             {t('The following fields exceed their limits: {{fields}}', {
               fields: exceedingLimitFields.join(', '),
+              interpolation: { escapeValue: false },
             })}
           </li>
         )}