Achieving compliance with the Internal Revenue Service

Although audits are unusual one must understand what a tax audit mean, the vast majority of citizens would rather not deal with one. According to the IRS, the number of real audits is quite low but has been progressively rising since 2008. There is not much you can do to prevent an audit by the Internal Revenue Service. The likelihood of being picked out for more scrutiny, though, is something you can work to mitigate.

·        Double-check the numbers

Errors in data input are a major red flag for auditors, but they are also one of the easiest to avoid. The recommendation to “double-check your return” may seem obvious, yet many taxpayers still make stupid mistakes.

Taxpayers might make simple errors by failing to account for all of their income or misplacing important documents.

Hold off on beginning your tax return until you have received all required financial documents, including forms W-2, 1099s, bank and investment statements, and other papers.

Verifying the correct number of dependents and exemptions claimed is also crucial. The IRS’s automatic system is well-equipped to spot inconsistencies, and it will be impossible to tell whether or not a mistake was made.

·        It’s always preferable to be forthright and honest

It may seem obvious, but being completely honest on your tax return can greatly decrease the likelihood of an audit. You may reduce the likelihood of being audited if you record your income, deductions, credits, and other financial data in a realistic and precise manner.

In case of an audit, you should be able to look an auditor in the eye and provide evidence for every single dollar you claimed.

Those who are self-employed, for instance, must document all of their company expenses.

·        Avoid the flavorless

The greatest group of taxpayers, those with combined returns who earned less than $200,000 but more than the lowest earnings, are likely to evade scrutiny.

If you earn above $1,000,000 per year or are in the lowest tax rate, you can expect an audit. Each has a long history of fraud and, due to increased complexity, data input errors.

Those in higher tax brackets are more likely to be audited since they are more likely to claim deductions like charitable donations.

A higher percentage of taxpayers who file a Schedule C will be audited.

If your income is low, you don’t have any dependents, and you don’t own a home, the chances of an audit are very low unless you made a mistake on your tax return or claimed deductions that are too large.