How closely does the IRS look at each tax form?

I think I may have made a mistake on my tuition expenses portion, which may make the difference between me getting the Hope Credit or not, making a BIG difference in my return...what%26#039;s the chance they%26#039;ll catch it and what happens if they do?

How closely does the IRS look at each tax form?

Their computers look pretty closely at every return, and match them up with the other info they have received, like copies of the tax forms you got in the mail. If there are differences, or if anything looks odd, the computers will kick them out - sometimes with an automatic letter that you owe $xxxx, or sometimes for a person to look at.

If you made a mistake, file an amended return correcting it. You%26#039;ll save yourself some grief and a lot of IRS paperwork down the line.

How closely does the IRS look at each tax form?

If you even suspect you have made a mistake, you should know that they have a lot of automated checks that are likely to bring your form up for close audit. Better get to them before they come to you.

How closely does the IRS look at each tax form?

When documentation of income or deductible expenses is sent to the IRS, they match your return with the documentation that they received 100%. Once that%26#039;s done, every return is subjected to a complex statistical analysis to see if there is a likelihood of collecting any additional tax. If your return is out of the normal range for someone with your income and occupation the odds of an audit leap astronomically.