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& Company in San Francisco, California, if you're having a correspondence audit and you feel your records are too voluminous to mail, you can request a face-to-face audit.
• "You can also ask a representative, such as your accountant, tax preparer or lawyer, to help prepare for the audit and even attend it in your place, if allowed," says Kollaja. "An experienced tax professional can tell you what to expect, guide your responses and keep the audit on track should you get tongue-tied or start sharing more than is necessary."
• The chances of being audited are low. "Sometimes returns are randomly selected for audit, but more often it's because something jumped out in the computer analysis each return receives," he explains.
• Common items that might trigger an audit:
• Taxable income listed on your return doesn't match amounts W-2 or 1099 forms, 401(k) plan or IRA distributions, brokerage accounts, etc.
• Taking above-average charitable deductions relative to your income.
• Deducting business meals, travel and entertainment.
• Claiming the home office deduction.
• Failure to report foreign bank account assets.
• Concealing cash income or receipts.
• Excessive cash transactions over $10,000.
• Your close relationship to another taxpayer being audited.
• Someone reports suspicious activity by you (the IRS offers a Whistleblower

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