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Did you actually read the article?

It's an editorial. The IRS chief didn't say that -- it's the author's "interpretation" of what the IRS chief said.

Here's what he actually said:

“That's something that would never cause you to be audited,” Mr. Koskinen said. “We don’t care who you are, who you voted for, what party you belong to, whether you go to church, or don’t go to church.”

Read the article for the entire context: it was in response to Trump's claim he is being audited because he is a "strong Christian".

However, I will also correct one assertion: you don't have to have anything "unusual" or "suspicious" in your return to be audited. The IRS randomly selects returns for the "Taxpayer Compliance Monitoring Program" or TCMP. This is known as a "super audit". The IRS Agent goes through the return line-by-line, and checks the taxpayer's documentation for everything. The purpose is to measure overall compliance with tax laws.

It's very rare, but it happens. I've been through one, and the result was "no change". However, it cost me about $1,000 for my accountant to represent me.

At the outset, the IRS agent admitted it was almost always a waste of his time, but he had to do it.

Did you actually read my comment before berating me for not reading the article?

However, I will also correct one assertion: you don't have to have anything "unusual" or "suspicious" in your return to be audited. The IRS randomly selects returns for the "Taxpayer Compliance Monitoring Program" or TCMP. This is known as a "super audit". The IRS Agent goes through the return line-by-line, and checks the taxpayer's documentation for everything. The purpose is to measure overall compliance with tax laws. It's very rare, but it happens. I've been through one, and the result was "no change". However, it cost me about $1,000 for my accountant to represent me. At the outset, the IRS agent admitted it was almost always a waste of his time, but he had to do it.

The field agent may not have known the program's main purpose but it was designed for the IRS to gain information about taxpayer compliance so it can fine turn its audit procedures to become more effective. It is also the basis of the compliance information that the IRS has to report to Congress. If you are the unfortunate taxpayer selected for the TCMP, it is a royal pain but its purpose isn't necessarily sinister. This was the explanation provided by a regional IRS director when speaking to a group of Master's of Accounting students and it seems quite plausible.

It is possible to be selected for a routine audit (not the line-by-line one) based simply on random chance. Every taxpayer has the opportunity to be selected for this but the odds are quite small. Nothing on your return triggered the audit, you were just the winner of this unfortunate lottery.

It's an editorial. The IRS chief didn't say that -- it's the author's "interpretation" of what the IRS chief said.

This paper should get its act together. They used quotation marks in the headline implying that the IRS Commissioner actually said this. An editor should have never let this be printed.