For millions of Americans, tax season culminates in a single, happy moment: the arrival of a tax refund. It can feel like a windfall, a bonus from the government. However, the process of getting that refund is fraught with peril. The U.S. tax code is incredibly complex, and a simple, honest mistake on your return can be interpreted as a red flag by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The agency uses powerful computer algorithms to scan every return for anomalies. If your return deviates from the norm, it can be flagged for further review, or worse, a full-blown audit. Many common tax refund mistakes are the very things that land taxpayers in the IRS’s crosshairs.
Here are eight errors that can dramatically increase your chances of getting audited.
