In regard to the above numbers, it is important to note that the IRS pursued a large number of correspondence audits instead of facetoface meetings. As the name suggests, these audits consists of correspondence being sent from the IRS to a taxpayer regarding a contested issue. The taxpayer can respond to the audit or pay the accessed amount depending upon the request of the IRS.

Favorable Audit News For Businesses

The audit rate for businesses is much lower than those for individuals. In 2002, the IRS audited roughly 2.2 out of every 1,000 businesses. In 2003, this rate dropped slightly to 2.1 out of every 1,000 businesses.

The IRS has attributed the decline in business audits to the explosive growth in tax shelters, which requires the Agency to pursue more expensive and time consuming audits due to the complexities involved in the plans. The Agency reported pursuing more than 2,200 such shelters in 2003, which the audits taking an average of 7 1/2 months longer than normal corporate audits.

Audit Risk

Whether you are a business or individual taxpayer, your risk of being audited is very low. The nominal risk, however, is not a license to pursue frivolous deductible claims on your returns. As long as you stick to valid deductions, you should be able to sleep without much concern.