Surviving a tax audit
It’s the time of year when tax audits are being started en masse. The IRS has the ability to put the fear of God into people.
Cooperation and documentation are the key. First, the taxpayer can and should pull together any documentation that proves the numbers on the tax return. But ONLY the numbers that the auditor is questioning. (You never want to produce documentation about other items that aren’t being questioned!)
Second, attitude is everything. Appearing cooperative can help your case quite a bit. Remember, the auditors don’t have the easiest job in the world, and they probably deal with a lot of negative reactions. They want the audit done just as soon as you do. Being cooperative helps the audit go much more smoothly.
Read more about how to get through an audit.
