Tax Audit Lawyers in Matthews

A "tax audit" is a procedure in Matthews, North Carolina where the tax authorities investigate a taxpayer's (whether the taxpayer is a person or corporation) filings when it looks like there's some kind of discrepancy. However, many state and federal tax audits are the result of random selection, when the authorities don't necessarily think that a taxpayer has deliberately evaded their taxes.

The procedure of being audited in Matthews, North Carolina is typically pretty simple. If and when the tax authorities decide to audit you, they'll send you a letter in the mail detailing what's about to happen. If you receive such a letter, it's extremely important that you make sure it's authentic. Sometimes, scam artists will send fake audit notices to people, claiming that they owe the government money. They will then collect their "taxes" and disappear. You should do an internet search for the name of the tax authority that the letter claims to represent, and call them to verify that you are being audited.

Once you receive the letter, and confirm its authenticity, you will have to meet with an auditor at the time and place stated in the letter, and subsequent communications with the auditor. The auditor will tell you what documents and records you need to bring to the meeting. They will then ask you some questions to clear up whatever discrepancy they found in your tax return.

Reasons For a Tax Audit in Matthews, North Carolina

There are several different reasons why the federal government, or the tax authorities of North Carolina might decide that a tax audit is warranted in your case.

A taxpayer can be chosen for an audit at random, even if the tax authorities don't suspect any wrongdoing. The idea behind these random audits is to keep taxpayers on their toes. So, if you are audited for this reason, and know that you've done everything properly in filing your taxes, you will probably be fine.

On the other hand, there are also particular reasons why the tax authorities in Matthews, North Carolina might want to conduct a tax audit. The most prevalent reason for a tax audit is suspicion that a taxpayer has not reported all of the income they earned in a given year. This suspicion often arises when a taxpayer buys a considerable number of expensive luxury items, but only claims a small amount of income on their tax return. Obviously, the tax man will be quite interested in learning where someone who is claiming a minimum-wage level income on their taxes got the money to buy a sports car.

Claiming an unusually-high number of deductions is another prevalent reason for tax audits in Matthews, North Carolina. A tax deduction is some expenditure that you can subtract from your taxable income, thereby reducing your tax liability. If you claim such a massive number of deductions that your tax liability has been reduced to almost nothing, the IRS will probably want to make sure that all of these deductions are valid.

How Can A Matthews, North Carolina Tax Lawyer Help?

If you are audited in Matthews, North Carolina, and believe that you have done everything right in collecting and filing your tax return, you probably don't have much to worry about. If there is anything wrong with your tax return, it was probably the result of an honest mistake, which will result in light penalties - typicallyy just an order to pay any back taxes you owe, plus interest.

But, in more convoluted cases, chances are you would be well-served by a tax lawyer in Matthews, North Carolina, to ensure that your tax audit goes smoothly.