[Liz]

People need to remember that the IRS is also charged w/ law enforcement.....besides conducting its business of overseeing taxes.

The IRS Tax Code is enormous---think of a battleship---nobody really knows whats in it.

Remember.....if you get audited....the IRS cannot ask you about your previous tax returns....only the return of the audit year.

[miss marmelstein]

I’ve been audited. It is NOT pleasant and they are not a nice government outfit. They are out to intimidate and steal. Lois Lerner, anyone? Henry Waxman, anyone?

[Dan(9698)]

the IRS cannot ask you about your previous tax returns....only the return of the audit year.

If you are targeted, all they have to do is "allege" fraud and they can go back as far as they want.

They can and do turn your life upside down.

[Agamemnon]

Remember.....if you get audited....the IRS cannot ask you about your previous tax returns....only the return of the audit year.

They certainly can ask for other years. I was audited back in 1991 for 1989. I had a small side business and a full time job paying about $30K/year. At the end of the audit I was assessed an additional $500 on the basis of a mis-allocated business expense.

Feeling lucky they then went for my 1990 taxes and told me I'd be audited as a follow on to the 1989. Meanwhile, I moved from CT to VA, and as often happens, audits that transfer get lost in the shuffle when you move and they are typically assigned a lower priority in the stack. Sometimes statute of limitations kicks in (3 years for taxes) and the audit ends by default. I wasn't that lucky. They found me in VA.

Happy ending to the story is that the audit for 1990 resulted in a $3000 refund to me.

I have not heard from them since. For all I know I have a flag next to my SSN that says, if we audit this guy it will cost us BIGLY!

FReegards!