Estate Planning, Elder Law and Tax Defense Attorneys

At least three years, but six years is preferable. The IRS has three years after you file a tax return to complete an audit. For example, if you filed on April 15, 2006, for 2005, keep those records until at least April 16, 2009. The IRS can audit you for up to six years if it suspects that you underreported your income by 25% or more. If the IRS suspects fraud, there is no time limit for an audit, although audits beyond six years are extremely rare. Keep records of purchases of real estate, stocks, and other investments for at least three years after the tax return reporting their sale was filed. (See Winning Your Audit: An In-Depth Guide.)

A minority of audit victims make a clean getaway. The IRS audits half as many taxpayers today as in the 1990s, but the take per audit has increased. The IRS, thanks to its sophisticated computer selection process, only audits returns in which adjustments are almost a certainty. Realize the odds are against you and focus on limiting the damage from an audit. (See Winning Your Audit: An In-Depth Guide.)

In a Yankelovich poll, one out of five Americans admitted to cheating the IRS. The IRS says that 15.5% of us don’t fully comply with the tax laws. Undoubtedly the cheating would be greater if wage earners did not have taxes withheld by their employers. Small business owners and self-employed people have the most opportunities to play fast and loose. Arguably, cheating by self-employed people approaches 100%. It may just be a question of degree—did you ever mail a personal letter with a business-bought stamp?

Yes. Filing saves you from the possibility of being criminally charged or, more likely, from being hit with a fine for failing to file or for filing late. Interest continues to build up until you pay. Of course, filing without paying will bring the IRS collector into your life, but she’ll be friendlier if she doesn’t have to hunt you down. The sooner you start filing, the better. (See Winning Your Audit: An In-Depth Guide.)

Probably not. Although you can get an extension to file your tax return until October 15, you still must pay by April 15 or the IRS can impose a penalty and charge interest. Try pleading hardship on IRS Form 1127 to get up to six months extra to pay. Few payment extensions are granted. Even then, only penalties, not interest, stop accruing. Form 1127 works best in requesting an extension to pay estate taxes. (See When You Owe the IRS: Keeping the Tax Collector at Bay.)

At least three years, but six years is preferable. The IRS has three years after you file a tax return to complete an audit. For example, if you filed on April 15, 2006, for 2005, keep those records until at least April 16, 2009. The IRS can audit you for up to six years if it suspects that you underreported your income by 25% or more. If the IRS suspects fraud, there is no time limit for an audit, although audits beyond six years are extremely rare. Keep records of purchases of real estate, stocks, and other investments for at least three years after the tax return reporting their sale was filed.

Yes—they are used by all auditors to prepare their final reports. No—it doesn’t make it harder to beat an audit. Computers are just machines; it’s the person operating the computer who counts. Computers can’t make judgments that are at the heart of the tax audit process. (See Winning Your Audit: An In-Depth Guide.)

Federal law makes IRS files private, not public records. The law has many exceptions, however. IRS files can be legally shared with other federal and state agencies. Most leakage comes as a result of sloppy state agencies that are granted access to IRS files. Furthermore, IRS employees have been caught snooping, and computer hackers have broken into government databases. While violation of the Privacy Act is a crime, rarely is anyone prosecuted for it, though IRS personnel can be fired if caught.