The Top 3 Items that might and could cause an AUDIT

Fkatz

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Hi all,
You might be interested in these.

December 16, 2015

These 3 tax
deductions could lead to an IRS audit

Getting audited are taxpayers' worst nightmare, but that shouldn't stop you from taking advantage of the tax deductions you're legally entitled to take. You should just take care to make sure you have the documentation you need to back up your deduction if the IRS decides to take a closer look at your return.
Below, you'll learn about three tax deductions that often raise red flags from would-be auditors.


Home office deduction

Self-employed entrepreneurs often work out of their homes, and the tax laws provide for such businesses to deduct the legitimate expenses that are connected with their home-based business. If you meet the requirements for a portion of your home that's used regularly and exclusively for business use, and is your principal place of business, you can usually prorate your overall household expenses by the fraction of your home's total area that your business takes up. In addition, you can deduct in full expenses that are directly linked to your business and aren't shared throughout the remainder of your home for personal use.

Abuse of this provision has led to increased IRS scrutiny. The most important thing to remember is that you need to be able to document the separate area and its exclusive business use, so if your business takes up a large fraction of your overall property, you'll need to prepare to prove it. In addition, ensuring that all claimed expenses are business-related is important in maintaining your credibility during an audit.

Charitable deductions

Donations to charity are usually tax-deductible to those who itemize their deductions, and the IRS has paid increasing amounts of attention to charitable deductions in recent years. Gifts by check are hard to falsify, but claiming large amounts for donated items like cars or used clothing has been a frequent area of abuse among taxpayers.

In judging your charitable donations, the IRS will compare your deductions with those of taxpayers in a similar financial situation based on your tax return. If you're on the high side of average, the risk of an audit will increase, and it'll be more important for you to keep good records on what you gave, when you gave it, and how you determined the appropriate value of the property. Fail at any of those tasks, and you could be left unable to support your deduction to an IRS auditor.

Unreimbursed business expenses

Most of the time, employees get reimbursed by their employers for any business expenses they pay for themselves. As a result, the IRS looks carefully at unreimbursed business expenses, even though they're an itemized deduction and are only deductible to the extent that they exceed 2% of adjusted gross income.

Many items are potentially deductible, including dues and license fees, subscriptions to trade journals and publications related to your work, tools and supplies, and specialty uniforms. Yet the temptation among many taxpayers is to try to deduct additional items that are only somewhat connected to their jobs. Before taking this deduction, make sure the expenses you're seeking to claim are legitimately business-related, and be prepared to explain in an audit why your employer didn't reimburse you for them.

Finally, bear in mind that any deduction could lead to an audit if it's unusually large compared to what most people report on their tax returns. If you're entitled to a big deduction for any reason, make sure you have the records to prove it in case the IRS comes knocking.

Getting audited is no fun, but as long as you have the required documentation, you should be able to stand up to IRS scrutiny with your deductions intact. Keeping good tax records with these three deductions in particular is a smart move that will keep you from paying extra tax after an audit.

Last modified on December 16, 2015

Written with permission Latino Tax Professional Association
All Rights Reserved

Franklln Katz, ATP, PA, PB

Frank’s Tax and Business Service
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Kings Mountain,NC28086-3151
(704) 739-4039
Fax: (704) 739-3934
e-mail:[email protected]
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TeamCaffee

Administrator
Staff member
Owner/Operator
Frank I have a blog coming up about how I track our deductions and also how I file them away each year. If we are audited I have everything neat and tidy for ease of finding. It only takes a little time to file away receipts so they can be found later.

I have also started scanning all receipts before they are filed away. This has helped in a couple of ways. One if we are out on the road and I need warranty I have a copy of the receipt and then if the receipt fades I have a copy of receipts. As cheap as thumb drives are I will download all of 2015 receipts and place the thumb drive in the file box with the receipts.

How long do you suggest keeping your business related receipts?
 

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Forever. Thumb drives are small and cheap. :)

Doctors generally get audited every 7-8 years I'm told. My dad was a doctor. He got an audit notice in 1964. My mom did all his books and taxes. Saying she was fastidious is greatly shortchanging the quality of her work. She got a telephone book sized tax guide every year and studied it for scores and scores of hours. The audit notice said to appear at a certain time and plan on allowing 2 days for the audit. At that time my dad and his partner worked 9-3 or 3-9 swapping month to month for the morning or evening shift at the clinic which was open 9-9. My dad and I were playing some game or with trains when my mom got home around 11. We were surprised and asked if they broke for lunch so early. She said no, the guy spent about an hour looking at her records and her filing system and told her to go home and let him get on to someone they might get some money from. My father never got another audit notice in 41 more years of practicing. We believe that auditor may have put a note on the file to never audit as long as my mom signed as the preparer.
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Frank I have a blog coming up about how I track our deductions and also how I file them away each year. If we are audited I have everything neat and tidy for ease of finding. It only takes a little time to file away receipts so they can be found later.

That's the key. Don't think about an IRS audit as something that will be your worst nightmare if it happens. Think of it as something that will happen sooner or later and prepare now for it. With such preparations made, the nightmare goes away.

TeamCaffee's approach is spot-on. Know the difference between a business and personal expense. Know what is deductible and what is not. Develop the ability to easily retrieve the record of any transaction at any time, even years after the fact.

The additional advantage good bookkeeping provides is the ability to analyze your business. It gives you the ability to compare, year-over-year or season-over-season, any number of key performance indicators that your bookkeeping data includes.

The people who fear the IRS most are those who are unprepared for an audit. Do your daily bookkeeping like you expect an audit to come and leave your fear behind. If you do not yet know how to do that, make it a goal to learn and use some of your layover time to develop this business skill.
 
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Fkatz

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Morning All,

An Audit could happen to anyone at any time, It is done randomly. but according to the tax associations and there tax law update seminars they are saying, with no proof that Sole Proprietors who file Federal Form Schedule C Profit/Loss from trade or business. Approximately 500,000 taxpayer will be audited in 2016 for 2015 tax returns, but this cannot be proved.
What they are looking for are.
1. Lease- Purchase options Truck Leases.
2. Mileage(Cargo Vans) Loaded Miles each load)* If you use mileage you cannot take the following
Insurance, repairs, fuel, tags and registration. Depreciation of vehicle
3. Excessive Repairs/Maintenance, etc. Its would be better off that you actually list if there is a of each repair.
4. Per Diem
5. Home Office Deduction
Keep all of your receipts, and records as neat and tidy as possible, and the IRS just might ask you to leave. and you will never hear from them again. This is as if you used a Tax Professional or filed your own taxes online with the over the counter tax software.



Franklin Katz, ATP, PA, PB
Frank’s Tax & Business Service
315 E. King St
Kings Mountain, NC 28086
(704) 739-4039
Fax: (704) 739-3934
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.frankstaxbusiness.com


Disclaimer: Frank's Tax & Business Services and its employees accept no liability for the content, messages or consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided on this website, unless such information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any email and/or file transmitted through this website are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of any information transmitted through this website, disclosing, copying or taking any action in reliance on the contents of the information received is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error please notifyFrank's Tax & Business Services or the system manager. Under no circumstances shall a person acting as an employee or agent of Frank's Tax & Business Services be authorized to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of Frank's Tax & Business Services with another party without express written confirmation by the President or Director of Frank's Tax & Business Services.
 

Lawrence

Founder
Staff member
Morning All,

An Audit could happen to anyone at any time, It is done randomly. but according to the tax associations and there tax law update seminars they are saying, with no proof that Sole Proprietors who file Federal Form Schedule C Profit/Loss from trade or business. Approximately 500,000 taxpayer will be audited in 2016 for 2015 tax returns, but this cannot be proved.
What they are looking for are.
1. Lease- Purchase options Truck Leases.
2. Mileage(Cargo Vans) Loaded Miles each load)* If you use mileage you cannot take the following
Insurance, repairs, fuel, tags and registration. Depreciation of vehicle
3. Excessive Repairs/Maintenance, etc. Its would be better off that you actually list if there is a of each repair.
4. Per Diem
5. Home Office Deduction
Keep all of your receipts, and records as neat and tidy as possible, and the IRS just might ask you to leave. and you will never hear from them again. This is as if you used a Tax Professional or filed your own taxes online with the over the counter tax software.



Franklin Katz, ATP, PA, PB
Frank’s Tax & Business Service
315 E. King St
Kings Mountain, NC 28086
(704) 739-4039
Fax: (704) 739-3934
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.frankstaxbusiness.com


Disclaimer: Frank's Tax & Business Services and its employees accept no liability for the content, messages or consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided on this website, unless such information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any email and/or file transmitted through this website are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of any information transmitted through this website, disclosing, copying or taking any action in reliance on the contents of the information received is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error please notifyFrank's Tax & Business Services or the system manager. Under no circumstances shall a person acting as an employee or agent of Frank's Tax & Business Services be authorized to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of Frank's Tax & Business Services with another party without express written confirmation by the President or Director of Frank's Tax & Business Services.

Good info Frank. Thanks!
 
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