Random Tax Audits Show Massive “Tax Gap” of $345 Billion
By Jim Perez,
DebtHelp, Inc. Staff Writer
If you’re one of the lucky individuals who got a note in October from your friends at the IRS, don’t feel special, you’re not alone.
This October the Internal Revenue Service sent out about 13,000 random “Dear John Q. Taxpayer letters,†informing some taxpayers they’ve been selected for a special audit by the IRS.
The 13,000 random taxpayers chosen this year, with similar numbers to be picked in upcoming years, are part of the IRS National Research Program.
The program is designed to give the IRS a better understanding of how accurately income and deductions are reported, and to reduce the “tax gap.†The tax gap is the difference between what taxpayers should have paid and what they actually did pay.
The tax gap is a growing concern because it’s gotten so big.
In 2001, the IRS analyzed about 46,000 individual tax returns and found a $345 billion shortfall in tax monies. After enforcement actions and late payments, that shortfall was cut to about $290 billion, still no laughing matter to the tax collection agency.
The IRS will use information gleaned from the special audits to help it update criteria for selecting tax returns for annual compliance audits. Last year, nearly 1.2 million taxpayers were audited, the IRS said. A smoother functioning audit system will help the agency work more efficiently and cut the odds of going after tax-abiding citizens.
Some of the noncompliance stems from taxpayers not paying what they calculated they owe in taxes. Or not filing at all.
But the biggest problem, about 80 percent of the tax gap, comes from underreporting, the IRS says. This includes people working in restaurants who might underreport tip income, or sole proprietors who take business deductions for personal expenses.
The IRS concedes some mistakes are accidental, but notes that it has to watch out for intentional underreporting or even criminal activity.
Waterboarding is NOT one of the remedies being considered in upcoming years to improve voluntary tax compliance rates.
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Chris Rocks is the Regional Director of the National Credit Federation (NCF). NCF is a nationwide membership-based organization that assists consumers recovering from a financial difficulty and those who need a significant increase in their credit score.
Chris began his financial services career as a Financial Advisor helping young families with risk management and asset accumulation strategies. It was during that time that Chris realized that many of these young families also needed someone to guide their choices with regards to debt management.
He made the transition into the mortgage industry where he first worked as a loan originator and later the Vice President of a small mortgage company. As Chris came across clients who had suffered through financial challenges and saw the difficulty they had in re-entering our credit driven economy, he discovered there was a real opportunity to leverage his unique background and help others.
He can be contacted by visiting his personal site, GoodCreditLiving.com.
Francine L. Huff is the Publisher and Editorial Director of Super Savvy Publishing, LLC, which provides editorial and publishing services. She is a gifted author, freelance journalist, and motivational speaker who has entertained and motivated a variety of audiences through workshops, panels and keynote addresses. Francine is the author of The 25-Day Money Makeover for Women, which has inspired and motivated many readers to rein in poor financial habits, become good stewards over their money and work toward a debt-free life. She has appeared on a variety of TV and radio shows. Francine previously worked for the Wall Street Journal, where she was the spot news bureau chief, a news editor and a copy editor. She has interviewed a variety of financial professionals about financial issues and strives to present information about managing money in an easy-to-understand format that is accessible to people of all backgrounds and income levels.
Karen Lawson is a freelance writer with more than 15 years of experience working in mortgage banking and loan servicing. She holds BA and MA degrees in English from the University of Nevada, Reno.
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