When do IRS audit letters typically go out in 2025 tax season?

So I'm a bit nervous because I just filed my taxes for the previous year and I'm worried I might get audited. I'm not trying to hide anything, but I did have a side gig that brought in about $14k that I reported properly on my Schedule C. My friend got audited last year and it was a total nightmare for him. Does anyone know when the IRS typically sends out audit letters? Like is there a specific timeframe after filing when they decide to audit you? I filed in early February and now I'm constantly checking my mailbox with anxiety. Just wondering how long until I can breathe easy? Also, does requesting an extension affect when they might audit you? I'm thinking about filing an extension next year just to give myself more time to get everything in order.

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18 comments

Dmitry Smirnov

•8M

Tax pro here! The IRS doesn't have a specific "audit letter season" - they can initiate an audit anytime within the statute of limitations, which is generally 3 years from the filing date or due date, whichever is later. But there are some patterns to be aware of. Most correspondence audits (the most common type) tend to be sent within 12-18 months after filing. For returns filed in early 2025, you might see notices starting in late 2025 through 2026. Field audits (the more intensive kind) can take longer to initiate but are much less common for typical taxpayers. Reporting your side income properly on Schedule C was absolutely the right move! Most audits are triggered by discrepancies between income reported on 1099s and what shows up on your return, so you've already avoided a major red flag.

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Dmitry Smirnov

•8M

Yes, generally if you filed in April 2025, the standard statute of limitations would run until April 2028. The IRS has that entire period to initiate an audit, though most happen earlier rather than later. There are exceptions to the 3-year rule. The statute extends to 6 years if you omitted more than 25% of your gross income, and there's no time limit if they suspect fraud or if you never file a return. But for honest taxpayers who reported everything correctly, the 3-year window is what applies.

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Ava Johnson

•8M

I was in the same boat as you last year - worried about my side hustle income getting flagged. After weeks of anxiety, I found this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that completely changed my perspective. It reviewed my entire return and showed me exactly what might trigger an audit based on my specific situation. What I found really helpful was that it explained the actual statistics of getting audited for my income bracket and business type. Turns out my worry was way overblown - the audit rate for my situation was under 1%. The peace of mind was honestly worth it, and their analysis pointed out some deductions I missed that more than covered using their service.

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Ava Johnson

•8M

Their audit risk assessment is based on actual IRS data and patterns from millions of tax returns. It's not just guesswork - they use statistical analysis to compare your return against similar profiles. They can't promise you'll never get audited, but they can show you where your risk factors are. For complicated tax situations like rental properties and crypto, that's actually where I found it most helpful. It breaks down each section of your return and assigns risk scores, so you can see exactly which parts might need more documentation or explanation. The crypto section was especially detailed since that's a major audit trigger these days.

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Miguel Diaz

•8M

I was super skeptical about taxr.ai at first (seemed too good to be true), but after using it I'm a total convert. I've been anxious about audits for years because I have a home office deduction that I always thought would trigger something. The analysis showed me my audit risk was actually quite low and explained why. But more importantly, it found a major error in how I was calculating my home office square footage that could have caused problems! Fixed it immediately and now I sleep better at night. If you're worried about when audit letters might arrive, just knowing your actual risk level makes a huge difference.

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Connor Byrne

•8M

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Connor Byrne

•8M

It's not skipping the queue exactly. They use an automated system that continually redials and navigates the IRS phone tree until it gets through, then it alerts you when there's a live agent. You're still waiting your turn, but their system is doing the redial work instead of you having to do it manually for hours or days. No, it's definitely not an IRS premium service - it's a third-party solution to deal with the notoriously understaffed IRS phone systems. They don't keep you on hold themselves - you get the actual call with the IRS agent directly. I was skeptical too but when you're desperate to resolve an audit question, you'll try anything, and this actually worked.

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Miguel Diaz

•8M

I have to publicly eat my words about Claimyr. After calling the IRS myself for THREE DAYS STRAIGHT and never getting through, I broke down and tried it. I was connected to an actual IRS agent in 35 minutes. The agent helped me understand exactly what was going on with my CP2000 notice (which isn't technically an audit but still terrifying). Turns out my issue was just a mismatch between what my bank reported and what I reported for interest income - a $12 difference that somehow triggered the system! Got it resolved in one phone call instead of weeks of stress. So yeah, if you do get an audit letter and need to talk to someone at the IRS quickly, this is apparently a real solution.

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PixelPioneer

•8M

My sister works for the IRS (not in audits) and she told me that most audit selections for basic tax returns happen through their computer system, not human selection. That system runs throughout the year, so there's no specific "season" for audit letters. That said, she mentioned they are usually especially busy with audits in the summer and fall after the main tax season ends, so that's when a lot of letters go out. But with all the budget cuts and staffing issues, everything is backed up so it's less predictable now.

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PixelPioneer

•8M

The system mainly looks for statistical outliers compared to similar returns. So if you claimed deductions that are way higher than average for your income level, that's a red flag. Starting a Schedule C business can increase scrutiny, but it's not automatic - it's more about whether your reported expenses and income look reasonable for your type of business. Other big triggers include: not reporting income that was reported on W-2s or 1099s, claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit when the numbers don't quite add up, and home office deductions that seem disproportionate. But honestly, if you reported everything accurately and have documentation, even if you do get audited, it's usually just a matter of showing your records.

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