IRS Funding Boost and Its Effect on You

One provision in the Inflation Reduction Act aimed at improving IRS customer service that has been met with criticism.

The legislation allocates $79.6 billion to the agency over the next ten years. That’s more than six times the current annual IRS budget. More than $45 billion of this money will be earmarked for tax payment enforcement, while the rest will go to operational support. Almost $5 billion will go toward technology, and nearly $3 billion will go to taxpayer services. A $15 million task force would be created and a report will be developed.

Inflation Reduction Act Will Restore IRS Staffing To 1995 Level By 2026 – Forbes

According to a May 2022 report from the Government Accountability Office, IRS audits have plunged over the past decade, with the biggest declines among the wealthy. The audit rate for Americans making $5 million or more dropped to about 2% in 2019, compared to 16% in 2010, the report found.

IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig said the $80 billion in funding would not increase audits of households making less than $400,000 per year.

“The resources in the reconciliation package will get us back to historical norms in areas of challenge for the agency — large corporate and global high-net-worth taxpayers,” he wrote in a letter to the Senate. “These resources are absolutely not about increasing audit scrutiny on small businesses or middle-income Americans.”

10 IRS Audit Triggers

If you’re worried this influx of cash, increased task force, and operational support might put you or your company in the IRS’s line of sight, here are 10 red flags that could trigger an IRS audit in 2022.

Not accurately reporting your income
Claiming too many charitable donations
Running a cash-based business
Reporting too many losses on Schedule C
Deducting large entertainment expenses
Claiming the home office deduction for a non-designated space
Reporting taxable income, even in a new business
Making too much money
Using rounded or neat numbers
Making mistakes on tax forms (working with a licensed CPA can help)

If you have concerns about being audited, please reach out to us. We can help you prepare for it.

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About the Author

Eric Sheldon

Eric Sheldon is a certified public accountant with more than 25 years of experience in a wide variety of industries. He's the owner/operator of Eric Sheldon CPA, PC, an accounting firm that specializes in providing tax strategy and preparation, accounting, and bookkeeping services to individuals and small business owners.

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