Partnership Audits Increase; Other Business Audits Drop In FY 2014
by Michael W. Blitstein, CPA
Just released IRS audit coverage statistics show a slight increase in audits of partnerships, but decreases in audits of large corporations and S corporations in fiscal year (FY) 2014. For all types of businesses, the FY 2014 audit coverage rate was 0.57%, representing a decline from 0.71% in FY 2012 and 0.61% in FY 2013.
Audits of large corporations experienced the steepest decline, according to the IRS, but must balance its audit work with available resources.
Partnerships
Unlike other categories, audits of partnerships increased in FY 2014. In FY 2013, the audit coverage rate for partnerships was 0.42%. The audit coverage rate for partnerships increased slightly to 0.43% in FY 2014.
Since FY 2007, the audit coverage rate for partnerships has been in the neighborhood of 0.40%, the IRS reported.
Large and small corporations
For large corporations (corporations with assets more than $10 million), the audit coverage rate in FY 2014 was 12.23%, compared to 15.84% in FY 2013 and 17.78% in FY 2012. The FY 2014 audit coverage rate was 0.95% for small corporations (corporations with assets less than $10 million). The rate was unchanged from FY 2013 but reflected a decline from FY 2012, when the audit coverage rate for small corporations was 1.12%.
IRS highlighted the decline in audits of large corporations. Audits for corporations with more than $10 million in assets fell by 20% between FY 2013 and FY 2014. Audits for large corporations are at the lowest rates in a decade.
S corporations
The IRS also reported that audits of S corporations declined. The audit coverage rate for S corporations in FY 2014 was 0.36%, reflecting a decline from 0.42% in FY 2013, and a decline from 0.48% in FY 2012.
Impact of budget cuts
IRS Commissioner Koskinen attributed the decline in audit coverage to recent cuts in the agency’s budget. The IRS budget has fallen by more than $1.2 billion in the last five years. Like overall IRS staffing, the number of compliance employees who conduct audits has also fallen sharply during this period.
The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 reduced the agency’s FY 2015 budget by approximately $346 million. President Obama has proposed to fund the IRS at $12.9 billion for FY 2016, reflecting a $2 billion increase over FY 2015. This would help the IRS stop this decline in enforcement efforts and help improve critical taxpayer services, Koskinen predicted. Koskinen is scheduled to testify before House and Senate panels this week about the agency’s FY 2016 budget request.
Michael W. Blitstein, CPA is a partner with the firm of CJBS, LLC, in Northbrook, Illinois. Michael advises his clients on tax, business and retirement planning, developing short and long-term strategic plans designed to achieve success for business owners and their businesses.
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