topic How will one audit affect current tax return? in Deductions & credits

How will one audit affect current tax return?

Desirae1289 — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:13:45 GMT

I am being audited for tax year 2022. For claiming the eitc. I plan to file for the same credit on this year's tax return for 2023.

Will my audit for 2022 freeze my 2023 refund? And will my 2023 taxes get flagged for audit?

Thank you in advance for your input.

Re: How will one audit affect current tax return?

DoninGA — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 21:57:56 GMT

Is the 2022 tax return actually being audited or is it only being reviewed?

Go to this IRS website for the Audit procedure - https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/irs-audits

A review or audit of a prior year return usually does not affect a current tax year return. So just go ahead and complete your tax return as normal.

Also, EITC is calculated by TurboTax based on the information you have entered on the return.

Click on Federal

Click on Deductions & Credits

Scroll down to You and Your Family

On Earned Income Credit (EIC), click on Start or Review

Re: How will one audit affect current tax return?

Opus 17 — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 20:06:07 GMT

Unless you get a letter saying your EITC is denied and you are barred from claiming it again, go ahead and file your normal return with whatever information is true and correct for this year.

Re: How will one audit affect current tax return?

Desirae1289 — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 22:06:18 GMT

I received a letter in the mail. Letter 6589. On it it states that they found I may not qualify for some or all of the eitc for tax year 2022. No other specifics as to why or how they came to that conclusion. Nothing showing on my 2022 tax transcripts code wise for review or audit. Not sure how long that would take to enter.

I've been audited before for the same thing and there were no changes to my return but it took 7 months last time for the audit to complete.

Not sure why 2022 was flagged. My 2017 return was audited because I accidentally overstated my income by two dollars.

Wasn't sure if my eitc for 2023 would get audited since 2022 is getting audited.

Re: How will one audit affect current tax return?

Desirae1289 — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 15:47:06 GMT

I spoke with an IRS agent today. She told me that letter 6589 was sent out to thousands of tax payers who claimed the eitc. That it's basically junk mail and does not mean my tax return was pulled for review or audit.

She said the letter had a very poor choice in words and was extremely confusing to a lot of people.

The way it starts off makes it seem like '"they" found a mistake on my return when that is not that case at all.

What the notice is is just a way to get tax payers to review their own tax return for mistakes and make changes if needed.

I thought letter 6589 meant an audit was imminent, but it's not.

So thankfully I don't have to worry about there being an issue when I file my 2023 taxes.

Thank you for help. I hope this thread helps others who may have received letter 6589 and are worried or concerned of it's actual meaning.