Why does the IRS wait until you retire from your job to start checking your last 6 or 7 year tax returns?

Question

Worked until age 65 and never had a tax audit. Now we retire and get letters from the IRS (registured) about an audit of one thing or the other. So when I call up their office, I get get some moody woman who thinks she can probrably walk on water who takes an attitude with me when I ask questions. `Question: Why now after all these years does the IRS want to worry about our taxes and some stuff we have receipts for as donations when we had to move?

Answer 1

Excuse me but the person that answered your call is tired of all the rude caller and is tired of being called every name but the name she provided you and all because of the stimulus rebate, so give her a break and then you called with an attitude also so two wrongs don't make a right. If you have a problem getting audited after so many years go visit Congress, but don't blame the IRS employers that are doing the job they get paid for.  You should keep all your tax returns in a fireproof safe for cases like yours.  Don't blame IRS if you didn't take care of your records.

Good Luck!.

And the employee probably can walk on water.

Answer 2

Or you used a preparer who routinely padded tax returns, someone else got audited and so the IRS decided to look at all of the returns they did.

Alternately, so many people were flunking audits that matched your profile that the IRS has tightened the audit net (in their march to closing the tax gap).

It doesn't help that the amounts of items people say they donated to charity and the amounts of money the charities say they realize when they sell the items are incredibly far apart.

So you donated more items than usual when you moved--did you keep an inventory of what you donated and what values you assigned to them?  An awful lot of people donate clothes and put down values that are far more than the charities get for them.

Answer 3

Normally the IRS can only go back 3 years on an audit.  There are exceptions though.  For instance if you substantially understate your income or overstate your deductions they have 6 years.  And if you file a fraudulent tax return then there is no limit on how far that they can go back.

If you're being audited on the issue of a charitable donation from 6 or 7 years ago they must think you claimed a real WHOPPER if they're looking at it now.

Answer 4

The IRS audits a person whenever something comes up that they think warrants one.  If they are checking 6 or 7 years, sounds like they've found some serious omissions in the more current one.

If there's an issue with donations, check with the charity, they might well have records quite awhile back.