I haven’t been paying too close attention (we have been a little busy around here!), but I was sent this priceless little nugget about the Republican primaries recently…
You see, Rick Santorum recently released his tax returns. They’re nothing special, he’s doing quite well, but he is an ex-Senator so that’s no surprise. But here’s what I thought was interesting:
Santorum paid a tax rate of an average of around 28 percent — which is double the effective tax rate Romney paid on much larger earnings. So who’s to blame for such a discrepancy?
Here’s what Santorum said: "Look, I do my own taxes. Heck, Romney paid half the tax rate I did, so obviously he doesn’t do his own taxes. Maybe I should hire an accountant in the future."
The thing speaks for itself. Now, I’m not Romney’s accountant (that would be a fulltime job!), but I can tell you with good authority that Santorum is NOT alone. There’s no peer-reviewed study I can cite, but when new tax clients from all around Southern Illinois IL bring in prior year returns which they prepared on their own, one of the things we often do is to review them — and we almost always find additional ways to save (and we get that for them by filling an amended return on their behalf).
But one of the "hidden" benefits to using a good Southern Illinois IL tax preparer to file your taxes is that we have a hair trigger for avoiding things which might cause an audit.
And I thought that ALL of my clients and contacts would benefit from some (but not ALL) of our little internal list of what we look for, to make sure that clients are doing what they can to keep from getting socked with a notice.
Here’s what we (AND the IRS) look for …
The ‘Best’ Southern Illinois IL Tax Professional Reveals: Seven Audit Red Flags
1. Indefensible claims
There are so many old wives’ tales saying that certain items trigger an audit: home office deductions, passive losses, schedule C (sole proprietorship) activities, etc. But you really can’t predict the trigger (and you can drive yourself crazy trying), but you *can* adopt the "be reasonable" mantra about every item on your return (with the help of the best darn tax professionals in the Southern Illinois IL area, of course!), including these. So if you don’t have a decent claim for a home office, we’ll help you not to claim it. If your money-losing sole proprietorship is really more a fun hobby, treat it as such.
Look–don’t be scared to take deductions and losses you’re entitled to, but don’t take tax positions you aren’t comfortable defending. If you take reasonable tax positions, you’ll likely find you won’t end up needing to defend them. And if you do face an audit, it will likely be far easier.
2. It doesn’t all add up.
This seems like it should go without saying, but make sure you add, subtract and multiply accurately. Check your numbers through each step and do some simple math checks when you finish. If you do make a math mistake, you are likely to get a math correction notice from the IRS. This isn’t an audit. But our goal is to minimize your interaction with the IRS bureaucracy, which, ah… isn’t known for the best mail handling practices.
3. Lost 1099
This can be confusing, because the Form 1099 comes in many varieties, including 1099-INT for interest, 1099-DIV for dividends, 1099-G for tax refunds, 1099-R for pensions and 1099-MISC for miscellaneous income. These forms are sent by payers of such funds to both you and the IRS.
So regardless of how many 1099s you receive, make sure they all are accounted for on your return. There are also Forms 1098 which lenders send (to you and the IRS) recording how much interest you paid. The IRS matches your return against the 1098s and 1099s. So one sure way to guarantee an IRS query is to fail to account for something! If a Form 1099 is wrong–say it reports more income than you had–you can explain or deduct it on the return, but you need to first report it.
4. Suspicious OVER-reporting
I’m not talking about under-reporting income, or holding necessary information back. But you’d be surprised how many Southern Illinois IL tax professionals and amateurs alike try to submit too much *supporting* information. True, if your return is complex, you may need to add explanations or disclosures in footnotes. Be concise, truthful and accurate, but don’t provide copies of sales agreements, settlement agreements, bank statements, etc., unless you are later asked to by the IRS.
Disclosures can be made on regular paper or special IRS forms. A Form 8275 "Disclosure Statement" on plain paper can be used any time you need to disclose something that can’t be adequately disclosed on the forms. Form 8275-R "Regulation Disclosure Statement," is for disclosing positions that are contrary to IRS Regulations or other authority. You shouldn’t be filing a Form 8275-R–or taking a tax return position that would require it–without professional help.
Frankly, though, any disclosure statement should be checked with someone who can take you by the hand and ensure it’s done properly (ahem).
5. Fighting unnecessary fights.
Here’s where some of our clients here in the Southern Illinois IL area have gotten in trouble in the past, despite our admonitions: If you take reasonable tax positions, and complete your return accurately, checking your math, why should you pay a bill if the IRS sends you one? Frankly, it’s a matter of practicality (and wisdom) rather than principle. It just doesn’t pay to fight with the IRS on small matters. So don’t get into the bureaucratic system and risk bigger problems for a few dollars. Just pay it and move on.
6. Ticky-Tack Prior Year Amending
Here’s the reverse situation of my previous point: amended returns are reviewed much more regularly than initial returns. So if you forgot a deduction or otherwise think you can get a small amount back by amending, think twice before amending your return (i.e.–consult with a pro). Consider whether you might have bigger problems if other matters on your return, unrelated to the amendment, are reviewed. Yes, you can win a battle…and lose a larger one.
7. Trying to go it alone.
Yes, this is a bit self-serving — but I’ll also make a "damaging admission" here: some tax professionals argue that a return prepared by a professional is less likely to be audited. However the facts are that there’s little reliable data to support it. That being said, having a professional prepare your return will give you the added firepower of years of experience in handling such matters in your corner.
So to absolutely ensure that whatever happens, you’ll have such a someone at your side — and that your back will be guarded on the front end, give us a call: (618) 485-2549.
And a last word: No matter how careful you are, there’s no way to guarantee you’ll never have a tax controversy. Sometimes your number just comes up. But when your number is called … make sure you aren’t alone.