Tax Audit in La Mesa, California

Find the right Tax Audit attorney in La Mesa, CA

Tax Audit Lawyers in La Mesa

A "tax audit" in California is the process by which the relevant tax authorities (either the IRS, at the federal level, or its state equivalent) investigate a tax filing in more detail than they do for ordinary filings, usually because there appears to be a discrepancy, or some other suspicious item, in somebody's tax returns. However, the IRS (and state tax authorities) sometimes do rounds of unexpected audits, where they audit taxpayers at random, without necessarily suspecting them of any wrongdoing.

The process of a La Mesa, California tax audit is usually pretty straightforward. If and when you are faced with a tax audit, you'll receive a letter from the IRS, or its state equivalent, telling you that you're being audited. Nonetheless, you should not assume that this letter is authentic, because con artists will sometimes send fake audit letters to squeeze money out of innocent taxpayers. You should seek independent confirmation of the letter's authenticity by searching the Internet for the name of the government agency in question, and contact them for more information.

Once you have confirmed that your audit is authentic, you will be obligated to meet the auditor at an agreed-upon time and place. The auditor will usually inform you about what documents and other proof you need to take to the meeting. At the meeting, they will ask you a long series of questions about your taxes, to clear up the thing they're uncertain about.

Reasons For a Tax Audit in La Mesa, California

Tax Audits in California can happen for a wide variety of various reasons.

As mentioned above, an audit can happen simply because a person was chosen for an audit at random. If you are randomly chosen for a tax audit, and you have been honest and diligent in preparing your tax documents, it will probably be a quick, painless process, and you likely don't have anything to worry about.

On the other hand, some taxpayers in La Mesa, California are audited for a specific reason, rather than being drawn at random. If the tax authorities believe that you have underreported your income, that is a very typical reason for a tax audit. For example, if you claim on your tax return that you make ,000 per year, and, in the same year, buy an expensive luxury item, the tax authorities will wonder where you got that extra money, and why you're not paying taxes on it.

Likewise, attempting to deduct a large percentage of your income is likely to raise suspicions. A tax deduction is a way to lower one's tax liability by making some of one's income non-taxable. Some common sources of tax deductions in La Mesa, California are business expenses and charitable donations. Some people, nonetheless, try to include incorrect deductions in their tax returns (attempting to deduct charitable donations they never actually gave, for example). A large number of deductions will be highly suspicious to the tax authorities, and they will want to see evidence to support every deduction you claim, if you're audited.

How Can A La Mesa, California Tax Lawyer Help?

If you find yourself on the business end of a tax audit in La Mesa, California, and you are sure that you have reported all of your income, and not claimed any invalid deductions, chances are you were just chosen at random for an audit, and you likely don't have any cause for concern, other than the inconvenience that an audit represents. If you are deemed to owe any back taxes, and your failure to pay in the past was the result of an honest mistake, you'll likely be afforded a chance to pay any taxes you owe from past years, with the possible addition of interest.

But, in more perplexing cases, chances are you would be well-served by a tax lawyer in La Mesa, California, to ensure that your tax audit goes smoothly.

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Life in La Mesa

La Mesa, California is a city in San Diego County, California. It has a population of about 57,000 people.

La Mesa is a quiet, middle-class community. Its median household income of about ,000 per year, which is roughly in line with the national average. About 9% of its population lives below the poverty line, which is somewhat less than the national average. La Mesa, California directly borders the city of San Diego, which is the second-largest city in California, and a major economic hub for the area, with industries like shipbuilding, ports, tourism, and the military all having a large presence in the area.

These industries employ people in a wide range of fields, including many white-collar professionals such as La Mesa, California lawyers.

Many of these professionals live in La Mesa, California to take advantage of the quiet, affordable nature of a suburb, while still having access to the amenities and economic opportunity that only a big city can offer.

If you live in La Mesa, California, and need legal services, chances are good that there's a La Mesa, California attorney who can help.

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