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Was having a discussion with my wife. Are you more or less likely to be audited by the IRS when you have a tax service do your taxes.Like H&R Block, liberty etc. Thanks.

2007-02-14 02:36:21 · 11 answers · asked by ninjabrat 1 in Business & Finance Taxes United States

11 answers

Chances are, you would be less likely.

2007-02-14 02:40:09 · answer #1 · answered by Rob D 5 · 0 3

That's a tough question to answer. There are a certain number of "red flags" that the IRS looks at to determine whether your return is selected for audit. These red flags has nothing to do with who prepared your return. If you have the same red flags, it doesn't matter whether your return was self prepared, prepared using software, or prepared by a professional, just having the red flags increase your chances of being audited.

Of course, there are also "unsavory" tax preparers out there that will willfully claim deductions that the taxpayer is not entitled to, etc. that will increase the chances of you getting selected for audit. No one can "guarantee" that you will get a refund. If they tell you that, run away, far away, as fast as you can. I recall several years back, there was an enrolled agent out in California that catered his services to the immigrant/minority community. He was an enrolled agent, so that means he was a licensed professional. However, he was investigated by the IRS because every single return he ever prepared for his clients ended up with large refunds. Statistically, this is virtually unheard of. So the IRS decided to audit all of his clients. It turned out that the preparer was "creating" dependents where there was none (this was before the IRS really started checking names and SSN's) and were claiming deductions that the person was not entitled to or did not have proof to substantiate the deduction. In the end, he lost his EA license, and most of his clients were assessed additional taxes, interest, and penalties.

If you don't want to be audited, then you also shouldn't consider getting a job with the IRS. Under the IRS regulations, employees of the IRS above a certain level or in certain positions are automatically audited every single year.

2007-02-14 03:35:40 · answer #2 · answered by jseah114 6 · 1 0

There's always a chance of being audited no matter who does your taxes. As it is the information contained on the returns that determines whether or not it will raise a red flag.
High amounts of charity contributions, self-employment/cash based businesses, health care, dependent, child tax credit, EIC..... Any thing that looks strange can set off IRS letters or an audit.
Just be honest. And if you have questions or something doesn't sound right, when someone is doing your return (H & R Block, Liberty, CPA, etc.)...ASK!

2007-02-14 02:55:54 · answer #3 · answered by Celeste 6 · 1 0

The only time it would make much difference is if a particular preparer gets identified as filing improper returns, then many of his/her clients would get audited.

If the person doing your return makes a mistake that the IRS identifies, then they don't usually audit your return, they just send you a letter detailing the mistake and telling you how much to send them if you owe extra taxes because of the mistake, or how much they'll send you if you owe less than you paid. This is whether you did your own taxes and made a mistake, or whether someone else prepared the return for you.

2007-02-14 08:13:23 · answer #4 · answered by Judy 7 · 0 0

Unless you have a very complex situation, and if your return includes all documents that have been sent to the IRS with your income (w-2's and 1099's) it is extremely unlikely that you will be audited. Before an audit would occur, you might get a letter with a suggested adjustment, but that is not an audit.

2007-02-14 04:17:57 · answer #5 · answered by Ovrtaxed 4 · 0 0

Who does your taxes has no bearing on whether you will be auditted or not. Alot of peeple belive that if you use a service or CPA the nyou will have a better shot not to be, but that is just a myth. It is all based on the return itself.

2007-02-14 02:56:48 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

My brother was audited two years in a row and when he called the IRS they told him the computer selects ramdonly those people.

2007-02-14 03:27:46 · answer #7 · answered by Nita 2 · 0 0

I don't know about audited per se, but I worked for an accounting firm and we had people come in for us to do their taxes because H&R block had done theirs wrong. If you have a complicated return, I wouldn't have them do it.

2007-02-14 02:41:24 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2 0

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2016-12-17 09:48:45 · answer #9 · answered by ? 4 · 0 0

whether you do it yourself or have it done for you supposedly not a criteria for audit. most criteria not a function of whether or not there are errors (unless you omit major items like earnings) but function of types of deducts, or just random.

2007-02-14 02:48:49 · answer #10 · answered by jim06744 5 · 0 0

Yes likely you are.It's best to do it your self or online like Turbo Tax.You really can do it by yourself,It's easy.The instructions for each line is in the booklet

2007-02-14 02:42:38 · answer #11 · answered by qtpie34 2 · 0 2

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