Ever wonder why some tax returns are eyeballed by the Internal Revenue Service while most are ignored? Short on personnel and funding, the IRS audited only 0.86% of all individual tax returns in 2014. And the 2015 audit rate will definitely fall even lower as the agency’s resources continue to shrink. For example, funding for enforcement in the IRS’s current budget is 5% less than last year. So the odds are pretty low that your return will be picked for review. And, of course, the only reason filers should worry about an audit is if they are fudging on their taxes.
That said, your chances of being audited or otherwise hearing from the IRS escalate depending upon various factors, including your income level, the types of deductions or losses claimed, the business in which you’re engaged and whether you own foreign assets. Math errors may draw IRS inquiry, but they’ll rarely lead to a full-blown exam. Although there’s no sure way to avoid an IRS audit, these 15 red flags could increase your chances of unwanted attention from the IRS.
Source: http://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/taxes/T056-S011-irs-audit-red-flags/index.html
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