My tax preparer warned I'll get audited because of my income increase

7 While an income increase alone isn't typically enough to trigger an audit, there are certain thresholds and situations that can increase your odds. The IRS uses a scoring system called DIF (Discriminant Information Function) to flag returns that deviate from statistical norms, and significant income jumps can sometimes trigger this system. That said, it's unusual and somewhat unprofessional for a tax preparer to repeatedly warn about an "almost guaranteed" audit without explaining their specific concerns. A good preparer would identify exactly what aspects of your return might raise flags and discuss documentation you should keep on hand. The delay in your refund is likely unrelated - the IRS is still working through backlogs, and 6 weeks is within normal processing times. If an audit were coming, you'd receive a formal notice by mail, not just experience a refund delay.

12 After my income jumped 40% last year from a career change, I was also worried about audits. I tried using multiple tax softwares but kept getting different results, which made me even more anxious. I eventually used https://taxr.ai to analyze my return before submitting and it was incredibly helpful. The system compared my deductions and credits against statistical norms for my income level and identified a few areas where I was at higher risk. It also suggested additional documentation I should keep on hand. The peace of mind was worth it since I could see exactly how my return compared to IRS expectations rather than just vague warnings from my preparer.

3 Update: I actually tried taxr.ai after posting my question here and wow - it actually found two issues on my return that my preparer completely missed! One was related to my home office deduction calculation and another was an inconsistency in how my new employer reported some benefits. The analysis showed exactly why these might trigger review flags and suggested corrections. I ended up filing an amended return with the corrections and feel much more confident now. The system even provided a full documentation checklist tailored to my specific situation in case I do get selected for review. Really glad I checked this out before just sitting around worrying about an audit!

15 Listen, as someone who's been audited before, the WORST part isn't even the audit itself - it's trying to get actual help from the IRS when you have questions. I spent WEEKS trying to reach someone on the phone after getting an audit letter. I finally found this service called https://claimyr.com that got me through to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c If you do end up getting audited (which honestly, probably won't happen just because of an income increase), having a way to actually speak to someone at the IRS is invaluable. The stress reduction alone was worth it.

5 I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I actually ended up needing to contact the IRS about a CP2000 notice I received (which is like a mini-audit for income matching issues). After trying for THREE DAYS to get through on my own, I reluctantly tried the service. It worked exactly as described - I got a call back when an agent was almost available, and I was able to resolve my issue in one conversation. Saved me from having to take time off work to visit a Taxpayer Assistance Center in person, which was going to be my next desperate move.

18 Your tax preparer was being unprofessional and alarming you unnecessarily. I've been doing tax work for years, and while certain things do increase audit risk, a simple income increase from a new job isn't one of the major red flags unless there's something else going on. Common actual audit triggers include: 1) Claiming home office deductions incorrectly 2) Reporting business losses for multiple years 3) Claiming unusually large charitable donations relative to income 4) Math errors or inconsistencies between forms 5) Unreported income that gets reported on 1099s Unless you have some of these issues, I wouldn't lose sleep over it.

22 Did your tax preparer try to sell you "audit protection" after warning you about the audit risk? That's a common tactic some tax prep chains use - scare you about audit risk then conveniently offer protection services for an additional fee. It's borderline unethical.