odds of being audited after you get your refund?

[zombies kill]

out of curiosity... what percentage of the time do people get audited AFTER theyve filed their return and received their refund? ive gotten mine and everything is apparently fine, but id still like to know if anyone has any credible info about this

[glass_onion]

100% of audits come after you have your refund and within the first 3 years. Ok, not 100%, but only the most obvious BS returns get flagged immeadiately. Unless you tried to launder it through the family business they won't catch it rigth away. Maybe not ever, but maybe. . .

[NickMPK]

My wife got audited a couple months ago for something on her 2004 return. (It was a mistake by her employer, who filed an expense reimbursement as freelance income) So I would say you're not out of the woods for quite a while.

[zombies kill]

i already understand the 3 year window, but thats not what im asking. and i have a really have time believing close to 100% of audits come after the refund is received. what is your reason for saying this? do you have actual working experience with the irs?

[DarthIgnurnt]

I don't think receiving your refund should make you feel any safer about getting audited.

I've had letter audits, which have always been well after my refund came (in one case almost 3 years), and those I know who have been audited have all been so many months+ after their refund and/or payment was made.

Oh also, in the case of fraud (which I'm sensing here for some reason), there is no expiration.

[plasphemy]

Do your taxes correctly... then you have nothing to worry about even if you do get audited.

But audits can come at any time. I got a letter audit a few years ago because I missed a 1099-misc, it was almost 2 years. It's as if they wanted to compound the interest and penalties before they let me know.

Their computers should have found the missing 1099-misc instantly.

[zombies kill]

dont be a jackass and subtlely accuse me of fraud. you know absolutely nothing about me. i pay all of my taxes every year, take all proper deductions and pay quarterly. regardless, i still get the impression that the irs will be stepping up audits concerning gambling these next few years, and am a little generically nervous about the threat of being unnecessarily audited.

and if i wanted to cheat on my taxes or whatever else, theres really no reason you should care in the least.

[Poker CPA]

Refunds are sent within 45 days, 99.9% of the time. Audits start generally during the 6th to 15th month range. Refunds have nothing to do with the timing of the audits, unless of course you e-file. So if you filed April 17th, you will receive your refund by June 1st, and if audited, you will be notified between October 2007 and January 2009. Hope this helps.

[zombies kill]

[ QUOTE ]
Hope this helps.

[/ QUOTE ]

definitely. thank you.