Evaluate my return for audit red flags

[MollsBBU · Accepted solution]

Besides having deductions that look puffed up, you can boost your odds of getting an audit notice with any of these:

• being self-employed (opportunities to cheat abound).
• having a 1099 mismatch (you show a $5,000 capital gain, the broker reports $15,000).
• having a large income (the IRS gets a better payback for audit efforts among the wealthy).
• claiming a large non-cash donation.
• reporting a loss from a business activity that could be a hobby.

Please note that the IRS randomly reviews a small percentage of returns regardless of audit risk. In addition, the IRS's focus on audit risk factors changes periodically and is not made public. Please see this Forbes article or this TurboTax Blog for more information about audit risk.

Also, see the TurboTax FAQ below for how TurboTax is there for you in the event of an audit:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/4204836