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Audit Letters From the IRS

By: Rich Chappo.. It is a part of just about all of our daily habits. We stroll out the mailbox to see what interesting bit of mail we got. As you dig through the junk mail, you see a few bills and an ominous looking letter. Egad, it is from the IRS. A dear john letter of a different sort.

The first thing you will notice about the letter is it is thin. This should worry you. If it contained forms it would be thick. As you open it, you see at first glance that it is not a form letter. This one has your name and social security number on it.

The dreaded thin letter from the IRS promises misery in all its simplicity. It is usually a one page statement, but packs the punch of a tank. Why? The IRS notice is issued under only one circumstance. The agency has found something wrong with your taxes.

Importantly, this one page letter is not always the precursor to doom. In very rare circumstances, it can contain good news. I once received one. After recovering from an anxiety attack, I actually read the letter and learned I was due just under twenty bucks.

The bad news is you are probably being audited if you receive this letter. Go ahead, cry. Let it out. Once you are done, actually read the full letter. The audit may not be the torturous event you are imagining. In fact, it rarely is.

A vast majority of the time, the notice will be for what is known as a correspondence audit. This means the IRS is contesting something about your taxes, but is willing to give you the opportunity to deal with it by mail. That means no grilling by an agent.

The real beauty of these mail audits is their simplicity. The letter will detail what the agency is contesting. It will also provide a potential solution for you. The solution may not even involve you paying more tax, but it probably will.

You can respond to the correspondence audit in a couple of ways. First, read it to see the options offered. Typically, you can accept the proposed changes by doing nothing. If don’t agree with them, you can respond in writing as to why.

If you accept the proposed changes, the audit is over as long as you take any required action such as sending in more money. If you want to fight the agency, you can. Understand, however, you might be opening yourself up to a full audit.

The IRS issues millions of notices to taxpayers each year. A huge percentage are resolved without blowing up into a bigger audit. If yours does, make sure to get professional help. Tax attorneys offer the best prospect of getting the IRS to back off.