“Each year, the ATO contacts around 2 million people about their returns. In most cases, audits are not our first action,” Foat said. She explained that audits were triggered if the ATO found a discrepancy in your tax return, which required further review to ensure the information you had provided was accurate.
In Australia, getting something wrong on your tax return often means little more than a frustrating delay with your refund. However, around 2 million people a year aren't that lucky. Instead, they face an audit covering up to five years of their tax affairs.
To make sure things stay on track, the ATO contacts around 2 million tax payers each year to review their tax returns, although not all of these people will be subjected to a full detailed audit.
There are several red flags that can trigger an Australian Taxation Office (ATO) audit. These may include home office expenses, work-related travel expenses, and private health insurance claims. If you are self-employed or run a small business, it's essential to be aware of these triggers if you wish to avoid an audit.
For one thing, your chances statistically of being audited are not likely. The vast majority of more than approximately 150 million taxpayers who file yearly don't have to face it. Less than one percent of taxpayers get one sort of audit or another. Your overall odds of being audited are roughly 0.3% or 3 in 1,000.
It won't be the end of the world but you may face some IRS audit penalties as a result of issues with your tax returns. Audits can be a scary experience to go through. The chances of being audited are slim. Of the over 160 million individual income tax returns that were filed in 2021, the IRS only audited 0.4%.
In other words, the IRS is simply double-checking your numbers to make sure you don't have any discrepancies in your return. Sometimes state tax authorities do audits, too. If you're telling the truth, and the whole truth, you needn't worry. Nothing is inherently sinister about an IRS audit or state audit.
Your Australian bank account statements are accessible to the ATO. The ATO is endowed with extensive legal authority, which allows it to access your personal bank information. Because of these capabilities, the ATO is able to get your Australian bank statements straight from your financial institution.
Keep documents for at least 5 years
Most audits are conducted on the previous year's tax return, but auditors can go back to previous tax returns if they believe you have largely understated your taxable income. By keeping all your documentation from the last five years you are able to back up any claims you have made.
For most taxpayers with simple affairs (e.g. individuals and smaller businesses), the period of review is generally two years. For individuals or businesses with more complex affairs, the period of review is generally four years. The time limit starts on the date the notice of assessment is issued by the ATO.
Who gets audited by the IRS the most? In terms of income levels, the IRS in recent years has audited taxpayers with incomes below $25,000 and above $500,000 at higher-than-average rates, according to government data.
Selection for an audit does not always suggest there's a problem. The IRS uses several different methods: Random selection and computer screening - sometimes returns are selected based solely on a statistical formula. We compare your tax return against "norms" for similar returns.
The ATO conducts an audit to verify compliance with your tax obligations and determine if you owe any taxes. The ATO has the power to audit any taxpayer, and they undertake most audits using information matching. The ATO will compare the information you provide with information from data matching third-party sources.
ATO Audit Time Limits
For simple income tax assessments – 2 years from the date an assessment is issued. For more complex tax assessments – 4 years from the date an assessment is issued.
The ATO will compare your tax returns year on year. Big fluctuations in financial position or particular line items in the tax return can trigger an inquiry from the ATO. International transactions are a key area of focus for the ATO.
The basic rule is that the IRS can audit for three years after you file, but there are many exceptions that give the IRS six years or longer. For example, the three years is doubled to six if you omitted more than 25% of your income.
It depends – but most audits wrap up well within a year
This time limit is how long the IRS has to charge you (or, “assess”) additional taxes on the return that's being audited. The statute expires three years from the due date of the return or the date you filed it, whichever is later.
To detect Centrelink clients failing to declare assets, we match all beneficiaries against trust data from the tax return database.
The ATO can, and will, check your bank accounts, cross reference payments against an ABN and confirm missing income from your tax return.
The Tax Office has launched a program aimed at drawing information from both banks and intermediaries such as PayPal and Bill Buddy to help it catch out tax cheats.
Some red flags for an audit are round numbers, missing income, excessive deductions or credits, unreported income and refundable tax credits. The best defense is proper documentation and receipts, tax experts say.
No receipts for deductions, no proof of purchase. Paying money for work-related items and not keeping a receipt is a costly mistake – one that a lot of people make. Basically, without receipts for your expenses, you can only claim up to a maximum of $300 worth of work-related expenses.
If you get audited once, you can get audited again but rarely for the same year. In very limited instances, an audit can be reopened or the IRS can provide notice that additional inspection is needed. Absent those circumstances, the IRS can't audit you again for that year.