Uptick in IRS Audits of Estate Tax Returns

The IRS' focus on estate tax returns resulted in the collection of $1.1 million more in additional tax revenue for the 2011 tax year.

Nobody wants to hear from the IRS …and I mean nobody. Typically the IRS would only contact you for an audit, which is never good news. But audits are not just for your income tax returns either – they also apply to estate tax returns.

Estate tax return audits can be especially bad news. First, the estate tax return itself must be filed within nine months following the death of the loved one who owned the assets subject to the return. Second, to make matters worse, the IRS seems to be upping pressure on estate tax returns more than any other.

With tax season dying out for most of us (if you haven’t filed for an extension), the last thing you might want to hear about are audits of any kind. Nevertheless, the fiscally-minded writers at AccountingWeb want to warn taxpayers about this apparent IRS interest in estate tax returns in an article titled “IRS 2011 Audit Rates Show Estate Tax Returns under the Microscope.”

Bottom line: take this as fresh evidence to cross your “t’s” and dot your “i’s” when it comes to your own estate planning.

To talk to an attorney about your estate planning needs, visit www.elderlawannarbor.com.

Reference: Accounting Web (March 27, 2013) “IRS 2011 Audit Rates Show Estate Tax Returns under the Microscope”