Will Fewer Audits Lead to More Cheating?

There’s an old saying that cheaters never prosper. Of course, there are probably many people who have gotten away with cheating that would beg to differ. When it comes to taxes, however, it’s always best to avoid cheating. Surely, some people do get away with it, but if you ever get caught it could cost you dearly. So why all the talk about cheating? We certainly don’t condone cheating on your taxes at GROCO, but some people might be under the impression that this could be a good year to try.

Why is that? Well, according to recent reports from the IRS, because of budget cuts, the agency will be doing a lot fewer audits this year. That means more false or erroneous returns are likely to slip through the cracks. While fewer audits are good news for taxpayers, it could also be bad news at the same time for those who are chosen for audits. The IRS estimates it will do about 1 million audits this year, down from 1.2 million in 2014 and 1.4 million in 2012.

You might think that with fewer audits to perform the process might go a little quicker, but with a depleted staff the IRS expects that the audit process could actually take longer than normal. In any case, with fewer audits expected the IRS warns that that is not a reason for people to think they can get away with brazen cheating.

 Plus, even though you might avoid an audit this year, the IRS has three years to go back and audit a return after it has been filed. Plus, if someone bluffs on their income by 25 percent or more the tax agency has as long as six years to review his or her return. Add to that the fact that the IRS’s budget could improve in coming years, which would give them more money and staff to work with, and cheating on your taxes should seem less tempting.

Posted in

Congress Not Looking to Pass Internet Sales Tax Anytime Soon

Ever since the Internet became a worldwide sensation, there have been those who think it should be taxed, especially Internet sales from state to state. Taxing the Internet would be a huge source of extra revenue for the government, but for those who use the Internet to shop (which is just about everyone these days),…

NBA Stars Losing Hefty Amounts of Their Salary to the Taxman

Just about everyone knows that professional athletes make a ton of money. Whether you agree with athlete salaries or not, the fact is those hefty numbers you always see reported when an athlete signs a new deal aren’t really all that they’re cut out to be. Oh sure, they are making a lot of money,…

Successful Investing With Taxes in Mind

There are many ways to earn money, but no matter how you get your income the IRS wants its piece of the pie. That includes any gains you make from your investments when you sell them. Although everyone does have to pay tax on their gains, you shouldn’t give the IRS any more than what…

IRS Is Carefully Watching Bitcoin and Other Cyber Currency

Big Brother is watching. Always watching. In this case, Big Brother is the IRS and you might be surprised what they’re looking into now. Although, when it comes to the IRS, nothing should surprise us. Have you ever heard of Bitcoin? It’s one of a handful of virtual currencies that making buying and selling things…