How to Prepare for an IRS Tax Audit
If you're asked to appear before the IRS, you should bring:
- copies of all affected tax returns
- copies of all of all relevant receipts and supporting documentation for the tax year in question
- name and contact information for a tax accountant or lawyer
- anything else requested in your IRS letter
Be sure to stay within the allotted time frame when providing information to the IRS. It is also important to keep all of your originals – provide copies of your documents to the auditor.
Documents required if you are selected for an audit
Documents you need to provide are based on the type(s) and scope of the audit. The following are documents you may need to make available:
- All purchases and invoices for the applicable audit period(s)
- All purchase invoices for capital assets for the applicable audit period(s)
- General ledgers for sales and purchases for the entire audit period(s)
- Copy of your filed Personal Property tax return
- Copies of all reports/journals/worksheets used to compute the period under audit
- Copies of exemption certificates, etc.
- Copies of canceled checks
- Copies of exemption from tax documents
- Evidence of the deductions claimed on your income tax schedules
Find more information on preparing for an efficient audit.