5.3% fewer taxpayers audited by IRS in ’12

3/26/2013

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service audited 5.3 percent fewer taxpayers in 2012 compared with 2011, the agency said Monday. The audit rate for individuals declined from 1.1 percent to 1 percent.

High-income taxpayers are much more likely to get audited than others. In 2012, the IRS audited 12.1 percent of individuals with income exceeding $1 million. Taxpayers making between $50,000 and $100,000 have the least chance (0.6 percent) of being audited, according to the data.