👀 What gets a tax return noticed by the IRS?

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Plus how to navigate an audit without losing your sanity, and the mistakes that can come back to bite you.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

​ It’s Tuesday again, and you know what that means. It’s time for your weekly dose of tax mayhem! This week, we’re taking aim at the one thing that strikes fear in the hearts of taxpayers everywhere: the IRS audit.  You’ll learn how to stay off the IRS’s radar when you can – and how to keep your cool if you can’t. We’re breaking down how to avoid a tax audit (this one’s a shocker!), what to do if you’re audited, and the little mistakes that can make an audit more painful than it needs to be. This week’s lineup: 🎯 Think you know what gets you audited? The answer might surprise you. 📖 Before you panic about that audit, grab the notice – not your passport. 🧾 Keep the audit simple or skip these steps and make it much harder. It’s your call. 🎥 The IRS wasn’t a fan of this content creator’s missing tax returns.   IRS Survival Guide 🎯 How to avoid an IRS audit: What you can (and can’t) control Photo by Campaign Creators on Unsplash The Quick & Bristly: You can’t audit-proof your tax return. But accurate reporting, good records, and one last once-over can make sure you’re not giving the IRS a reason to stick around. Want to know the secret to avoiding an IRS audit? Unfortunately, there’s no hidden trick or magic formula that guarantees the IRS will leave you alone. Even the most carefully prepared return can get selected. But there are plenty of things you can control. The catch: there’s no secret formula You can dot every i, cross every t, and still end up on the IRS’s radar. Sometimes returns are selected through random sampling or computerized screening. Sometimes you may even get pulled in because of a transaction with someone else who’s being audited. Talk about wrong place, wrong time.  Then, there’s information matching. The IRS gets tax documents from third parties, so you’re not the only one tracking your income.  But before you assume an audit means the IRS has already found you guilty of a tax crime, it doesn’t. Some audits end up without any changes at all, and some even result in a refund.  So the short answer is you can’t guarantee the IRS won’t take a closer look at your return. You can make sure there’s not much to see.  ➡️ Here’s what you can do to avoid giving the IRS more to look at   PRESENTED BY TAXQUOTES Owe the IRS? You’ve got options. An audit can end with no changes, or with a bill you weren’t expecting. Ignoring that bill only lets penalties and interest pile on. TaxQuotes looks at your income and situation to find the options that work for you. They can also help stop wage garnishments, liens, and levies, and they handle everything from start to finish. ➡️ Schedule your free consultation   IRS Survival Guide 📖 The unofficial guide to surviving an IRS audit Photo by Alexander Andrews on Unsplash The Quick & Bristly: If you’re audited by the IRS, start with the notice. Figure out what the IRS is examining, what records it wants, and when you need to respond. From there, you can handle it yourself or get representation. And if you disagree with the outcome, the conversation doesn’t necessarily end there. Few pieces of mail can ruin your day quite like an IRS audit notice. But getting one doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong. It just means the IRS has questions, and what you do next is important.  Before you start pricing one-way flights to a country without an extradition treaty, here’s what to do if you get audited. You’ve got mail (unfortunately) If you receive an audit notice, it’s definitely not something you want getting lost under a pile of coupons and extended warranty mailers.  But not every IRS letter means it’s time to prepare for battle, so make sure you’re actually being audited first by checking the notice number. If you’re the unlucky recipient of the IRS’s extra attention, the letter will tell you what’s being examined, what documents you need to provide, and next steps. If it feels like you’re reading hieroglyphics, the IRS has an online tool that deciphers its notices and letters.  Most importantly, do not ignore the deadline. Missing it could limit your options for challenging or appealing changes to your tax return. This test requires showing your work Now it’s time to gather whatever the IRS asked for. Your notice should tell you which records you need, so resist the urge to send your entire tax history.  Organize your documents around the specific items being audited. So, if the IRS is questioning a credit, pull together the records that show you qualified for it. It makes the IRS’s job – and yours – much easier. Then follow the instructions for how, when, and where to respond.  At this point, you’ve handled the immediate steps. But what happens if things get more complicated, or you realize you’re in over your head?  ➡️ Find out what comes next – and when to call for backup   ALSO PRESENTED BY TOTAL DRIVE Your phone can be replaced. Your memories can’t. Total Drive automatically backs up your photos, videos, documents, and other important files—so they stay protected even if your device is lost, stolen, or damaged. ➡️ Protect your memories today   IRS Survival Guide 🧾 IRS audit mistakes that make a bad situation worse Photo by Eric Rothermel on Unsplash The Quick & Bristly: The audit is already happening, and your job is simply to not make it worse. Meet deadlines, send the right records, document everything, and don’t agree to anything you don’t understand. Getting audited is stressful enough without accidentally making the process harder on yourself. Some of the biggest IRS audit mistakes happen after the audit has already started and have nothing to do with why you’re being audited in the first place. Don’t leave the IRS on read Pretending like you didn’t see an audit notice works about as well as pretending you didn’t see that text you’ve been avoiding – and the IRS is less likely to take the hint.  Read the notice, figure out what the IRS wants, and circle the deadline with a red Sharpie. If you can’t get everything together in time, speak up. For audits by mail, the IRS will usually grant a one-time automatic 30-day extension if you ask, while in-person audits require you to contact your assigned auditor.  Just don’t assume that every deadline is negotiable. Some – like the deadline to petition the U.S. Tax Court after receiving a Notice of Deficiency – are set in stone, and missing it means the IRS can move forward with the information it already has. Give them the records, not your life story When the IRS asks for records, more isn’t always better. If your notice requires three specific records, stick to the assignment. Sending the last five years’ worth of receipts, bank statements, and whatever else you dig out of a filing cabinet isn’t doing you any favors.  If you’re responding by mail, include a copy of your audit notice with the requested records. And if you don’t know what the IRS wants, don’t turn it into a guessing game. Just ask.  ➡️ Records in hand? Check. Now, see how to avoid fumbling the handoff   Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash Thursday, we go to work. The TaxStache Business Edition is built for owners and operators. Quick hits on entity structure, quarterly deadlines, deduction strategy and the IRS rule changes that actually affect your bottom line. Would you like to receive our Thursday Business Edition? Yes! Count me in. No thanks.   Wacky Tax Tales 🎥 The IRS doesn’t need a subscription to see your 1099 Image by Andres M. The Quick & Bristly: Seathra Zmeena Orr made millions of dollars on OnlyFans, skipped her tax returns, and moved money through multiple accounts. She has since pleaded guilty to tax evasion and faces restitution and potential prison time. A 39-year-old content creator learned one expensive lesson: an OnlyFans paywall won’t keep the IRS away.  Seathra Zmeena Orr pleaded guilty to tax evasion after failing to file federal returns or pay taxes from 2019 through 2022. So, how did making millions in OnlyFans income go so wrong? The answer involves a whole lot of spending – and not a lot of tax returns. Millions of dollars, zero tax returns From 2019 to 2022, Orr received more than $3 million posting photo and video content to OnlyFans, a subscription platform commonly associated with adult content. And she was just as good at spending money as she was making it. More than $1.3 million went toward personal expenses, including rent, luxury vehicles, and more than $110,000 in jewelry. Federal taxes were not on the shopping list.  In addition to receiving millions of dollars from OnlyFans, Orr also received a 1099 from the platform every year. And her response to the annual reminder that the IRS knew what she was bringing in? Apparently, nothing – no tax returns, no tax payments.  Orr took a far more active approach when it came to moving the money. She used 12 EINs and 19 bank accounts, transferring money between accounts and using cashier’s checks in an effort to conceal her income. While this seems pretty clever in theory, those same 1099s she ignored also made their way to the IRS. Game over. From content creator to tax evader On September 15, 2026, Orr pleaded guilty to tax evasion. The government calculated that she owes more than $1.1 million in restitution, and she has agreed to pay at least $476,970. The final amount will be determined by the court.  Orr was released on $100,000 bond, and a sentencing date has yet to be set. Orr faces a maximum prison sentence of five years for tax evasion. And just like that, a tax bill suddenly looks like the better option.  Income from OnlyFans – or any other online gig – is still taxable income. And when a platform sends you a 1099, the IRS gets one, too. Opening more bank accounts and shifting money around doesn’t make the paper trail disappear.  So, the moral of the story is that the IRS may not follow your content, but it definitely follows your money.     The quick (and slightly prickly) stories we didn’t have time to get to: 🪪 Tax returns may be getting even more personal (yes, it’s possible). For the first time, the IRS’s draft 2026 Form 1040 asks filers about their citizenship or work-authorization status. The answer could affect eligibility for certain refundable tax credits. 👷 Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., introduced the Blue Collar Social Security Fairness Act, which would let some workers in physically demanding jobs collect full Social Security benefits at 60 instead of 67. Lower backs and knees across the country are already counting down. 💝 President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” changes the charitable deduction starting in 2026. Non-itemizers can deduct up to $1,000 in cash gifts ($2,000 for joint filers), while a floor has been added for itemizers. Who knew generosity could come with a (potentially) smaller tax perk? 🧠 Get matched with a licensed therapist and get flexible support by chat, phone, or video. Take control of your mental health today and save 20% on your first month. Offer valid for new users only, cannot be combined with insurance (sponsored).   Follow us for even more great tips, tricks, and deadline reminders. Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn