What Is an IRS Audit?

An IRS audit is a review of your tax return to verify that your income and deductions are accurate. Most audits are not the scary in-person kind — the majority are correspondence audits handled by mail. Red flags that increase audit risk include large deductions relative to income, unreported income, and math errors. Having organized records is your best defense. If you're audited, respond promptly to IRS notices and consider working with a tax professional.