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Diego Rojas

Open IRS audit for tax year 2022 showing on account but no letter received - what's next?

I was checking my IRS online account last week and discovered there's an open audit for tax year 2022. When I checked my 2022 account transcript, it shows: > 420 Examination of tax return 10-15-2024 $0.00 2022 was a weird year for my taxes because the IRS actually increased my refund by about $1100 due to what I think was their error - they completely removed my Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) liability. I just took the money when it hit my account in February and didn't question it (wasn't about to call the IRS during peak filing season). Also in 2022, I moved between two different apartments so I ended up filing two Form 8829s for home office deductions since I'm self-employed. I know multiple home office claims can trigger flags, but honestly the total deduction was tiny - only about 1.3% of my business income. My main concern is when should I expect to actually hear something official from the IRS? It's really stressing me out having this audit thing hanging over my head. If my return was examined back in October, shouldn't I have gotten some kind of letter by now? Anyone have thoughts on whether this is about the NIIT issue or maybe the home office deductions? Or something completely different?

Based on your transcript, the IRS has indeed selected your 2022 return for examination (audit), but there's no need to panic just yet. The code 420 is just an indicator that your return has been flagged for review - it doesn't necessarily mean they've started the actual examination process. Typically, you should receive a CP75 or similar notice within 30-45 days after that date appears on your transcript. Since it's only been about a month since the October date, it's not unusual that you haven't received correspondence yet. Mail processing at the IRS can sometimes take longer than expected. Regarding what triggered the examination - it could be either the NIIT adjustment or the dual home office deductions, but it's impossible to know for sure until you receive the formal notice. The NIIT situation might have created an internal flag since the system detected a discrepancy. The dual Form 8829s might also have triggered an automated review, even though the percentage is quite small relative to your business income.

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Diego Rojas

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Thanks for the response! That's somewhat reassuring. Is there anything I should do in the meantime? Should I start gathering documentation for both potential issues just to be prepared?

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I'd recommend gathering your documentation now while the information is easily accessible. Make sure you have all your Form 8829 supporting documents - lease agreements for both residences, floor plans or measurements of your office spaces, photos of the work areas, utility bills, and documentation showing exclusive and regular business use. If the NIIT issue comes up, you'll want your investment income statements, your original tax return calculation worksheets, and any documentation showing how you calculated your NIIT liability. Being proactive and organized will make the process much smoother once you receive the official notice.

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Zara Ahmed

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Does it actually access your IRS account or do you have to download the transcript yourself first? I'm always nervous about giving access to my tax stuff.

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StarStrider

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I've seen ads for tools like this but they always seem like they're just trying to scare you into buying audit protection services. Does it actually provide useful info or just generic advice you could get anywhere?

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You download your own transcript from the IRS website first and then upload it to the tool. They don't connect to your IRS account at all, so it's just analyzing the document you provide. I totally get being cautious about tax stuff - I was too! It's nothing like those generic audit protection services. It actually decodes the specific transaction codes on YOUR transcript and explains what they mean for your situation. It showed me exactly which lines on my return were being questioned and even helped me understand a refund adjustment I didn't expect. Way more specific than generic advice.

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StarStrider

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So I tried that taxr.ai tool mentioned above and wow - it was actually super helpful! I had a weird 570 code on my account that I'd been stressing about for weeks. The tool explained it was just a temporary hold while they verified some info, not a full audit like I feared. It also explained all the other codes and gave me a timeline prediction for when things would resolve. The transcript analysis was really detailed - broke down exactly what was happening with my return and why. Ended up saving me a panicked call to a tax pro. If you've got transcript codes causing anxiety like the original poster, definitely worth checking out.

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Luca Esposito

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Nia Thompson

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Sounds too good to be true. The IRS barely answers their own phones - no way some third party service has a special line or something. What's the catch?

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Luca Esposito

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I have to eat my words from my skeptical comment above. After another failed attempt to reach the IRS myself (got disconnected after 2.5 hours on hold), I decided to try Claimyr out of desperation. Not only did it work exactly as advertised, but I got through to an IRS representative in under an hour! I was literally preparing for a full day of attempts, and instead, I was able to keep working while their system held my place. Got a call when they were about to connect me, and suddenly I was talking to a real person at the IRS. The agent was able to tell me exactly what was happening with my account and what I needed to do next. Completely changed my experience dealing with an audit notice. Wish I'd known about this sooner instead of wasting so much time.

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My experience with the IRS code 420 was that they were specifically looking at my home office deduction. They sent me a letter about 6 weeks after that code appeared on my transcript. In my case, I had claimed a pretty significant home office (about 25% of my home). I had to provide: - A floor plan with measurements - Photos of the space - Explanation of how the space was used exclusively for business - Utility bills and other expenses - Calendar showing business activities conducted in the space The good news is that I had everything documented and my deduction was ultimately approved. The whole process took about 3 months from the first letter to resolution.

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Diego Rojas

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Thanks for sharing your experience! Did you respond to everything by mail or did you have the option to upload documents electronically? I'm curious about how the process actually works.

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They initially contacted me by mail with a request for the documentation, but I was able to create an account on their examination portal and upload all my documents electronically. It was actually pretty straightforward - I scanned everything, created a single PDF, and uploaded it with a cover letter explaining each item. They did have questions about two of my documents which required a follow-up phone call, but overall the process was less painful than I expected. Just make sure you respond within their deadlines and keep copies of absolutely everything you send them. The digital option definitely sped things up compared to mailing everything.

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Ethan Wilson

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Just wanted to mention that the NIIT adjustment could definitely trigger an audit. The same thing happened to me - the IRS adjusted my NIIT down by about $600 in 2021, and I got audited the following year. In my case, they determined I had correctly calculated it originally and I ended up having to pay back the extra refund plus a small penalty. What software did you use to prepare your taxes? Some of the popular ones have had glitches with NIIT calculations that can cause discrepancies.

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NeonNova

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I had the exact opposite experience. IRS increased my NIIT by $1200 and when I got audited, they found they had made the mistake. Took forever to get resolved tho. Like 8 months of back and forth.

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