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As part of the actions carried out by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) during the tax collection season in the United States, so-called tax audits have become an essential part of these operations to strengthen taxpayers' tax compliance. 

This has motivated this agency to announce a reinforcement in this type of action with the intention of detecting inconsistencies in tax returns during 2025. 

According to the agency's official page, the IRS implements a series of specific strategies and methods to select taxpayers who will be audited. However, and as the agency mentions, being selected to participate in this series of inspections does not always indicate that there is a problem in the taxpayer's tax return. 

How does the IRS select taxpayers to be audited? 

As mentioned on the IRS site, it follows two main guidelines for choosing those to be audited: 

Reviews based on links 

According to the IRS, when it is detected that a taxpayer has financial links with another person or company under audit or review, they become a potential subject for review. 

Random selection 

This is the main procedure for choosing those audited by the IRS. To carry out the process, the agency relies on a computer-generated selection using statistical formulas within the National Research Program. 

In addition, and according to what was revealed to USA Today by the tax attorney from Withersworldwide, Michael Steffany, the IRS also focuses on other groups of taxpayers such as: 

  • Recipients of the Earned Income Tax Credit due to high error rates in documentation. 

  • Statements with discrepancies regarding reported income and amounts recorded in the return. 

  • Taxpayers with annual incomes exceeding 10 million dollars 

  • Companies with international presence or complex tax structures. 

Faced with these groups, experts in the field mention a series of recommendations to follow in order to avoid any type of audit by the IRS: 

  • Maintain detailed records of all income, expenses, and deductions that can support the tax return. 

  • Avoid "inflating" deductions excessively  

  • Be honest and accurate in all amounts claimed 

  • Report income accurately and ensure all income is correctly detailed. 

  • Respond promptly to IRS notifications and avoid ignoring letters or other means of communication. 

If audited, a good option is to seek legal advice to minimize legal and financial risks and always follow the protocols established by the IRS for this process. 

*This article has been automatically translated using artificial intelligence