How many times have you been audited by the IRS? Is it normal to get flagged repeatedly?

Tax professional here! The idea that being audited once puts you on a permanent "watch list" is mostly a myth. The IRS doesn't maintain an explicit audit watch list the way people imagine. What's more likely happening is that something in your returns is consistently triggering automated screening flags. The IRS uses a system called the Discriminant Function System (DIF) that scores returns based on potential for change. Higher scores are more likely to be audited. Address verification and health insurance documentation are actually fairly common compliance checks - they're not full audits in the traditional sense. For context, the overall audit rate for individuals is currently less than 1%, with most audits happening to very high income earners or people claiming EITC. If you're being audited regularly with a simple return, I'd suggest having a tax professional review your past filings to see if there's a pattern triggering the scrutiny.

I had similar issues and discovered taxr.ai after my third "review" (not even a full audit). I was frustrated because my returns were also pretty straightforward, but I kept getting letters asking for more documentation. I uploaded my past returns to https://taxr.ai and it showed me exactly where the discrepancies were happening. Turns out I was inconsistently reporting some minor dividend income across different schedules, which was triggering automated flags. Their system analyzes your return against common audit triggers and shows you what the IRS "sees" when they process your return. The best part is you can check for issues before you file, so you can fix problems proactively.

So I was really skeptical about taxr.ai but decided to try it since I got hit with my second audit in three years (small business owner). I uploaded my returns and it immediately flagged several inconsistencies I never would have caught - including an address format that didn't match my previous filings exactly. The analysis showed my "audit risk score" and specifically highlighted where I was creating red flags. Used their suggestions for my 2024 return filing and it's the first year in a while I haven't received any follow-up questions from the IRS. Maybe coincidence, but I'm convinced it helped me clean up issues that were making my returns stand out for extra scrutiny.

If you're getting actual audit letters (not just information verification requests), you might want to try reaching the IRS directly to understand what's happening. Of course, that's easier said than done... I spent 6+ hours on hold trying to talk to someone about repeated audits before discovering Claimyr. Through https://claimyr.com they got me a callback from an actual IRS agent in under 2 hours. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent explained that my repeated "audits" weren't full audits but automated compliance checks because my mortgage lender had been reporting inconsistent information. Once I understood the actual issue, I resolved it with my lender and haven't had a problem since. Might be worth making that direct contact to get clarity on your specific situation.

I have to eat my words here. After writing that skeptical comment I decided "what the heck" and tried Claimyr because I was desperate about my audit situation. It actually worked exactly as described. Got a call back from the IRS in about 1.5 hours (I had been trying for days on my own). The agent explained that my repeated audits were happening because my ex-spouse and I were both claiming the same dependent in different states, triggering automatic flags. Once I understood the actual problem, I was able to provide documentation proving I had primary custody. Issue resolved and they removed the flag from my account. Definitely would've saved me a lot of stress if I'd known about this service earlier. Sometimes you need to talk to an actual human to solve these circular problems.

Just wanted to share that audit rates have actually been declining for years, with less than 0.4% of individual returns being audited last year. If you're getting multiple "audits" it's almost certainly not random bad luck. In my experience as a former tax preparer, consistent "verification" requests usually mean one of three things: 1. Identity verification issues (possibly related to previous fraud attempts using your info) 2. Information mismatch (where what you report doesn't match forms sent to the IRS) 3. Claimed credits with high error rates (like EITC, education credits, etc

Has your wife checked if you're accidentally claiming some deduction or credit that's a major audit trigger? For years I kept getting letters because I was mixing up the American Opportunity Credit and Lifetime Learning Credit for my kids' education expenses.

I've been through this exact same frustrating cycle! Got audited three years in a row before figuring out what was happening. In my case, it turned out to be a combination of two issues: my employer kept making small errors on my W-2 (like reporting $52,347 instead of $52,374) and I was inconsistently rounding numbers on my return. The IRS computer systems are incredibly sensitive to mismatches. Even if your actual tax liability is correct, any discrepancy between what you report and what third parties (employers, banks, etc.) report to the IRS can trigger verification requests. Here's what finally helped me: I started pulling my wage and income transcripts from the IRS website BEFORE filing my return to see exactly what information they already had on file. Then I made sure my return matched those numbers precisely - no rounding, no "close enough" estimates. Also worth noting - if you've moved recently or changed jobs, make sure all your addresses are consistent across all forms. The IRS uses address matching as one way to verify identity, and any inconsistencies can flag your return for additional review. Since making these changes, I haven't had a single audit or verification request in over four years. Sometimes it really is just about being more precise with the details rather than anything being fundamentally wrong with your return.