Potential Reasons for Tax Audits

As a tax practitioner with Mitchell Tax Professionals in Lancaster, California, Alvina Mitchell guides at team of professionals in providing data-supported tax preparation and filing services. In addition, Alvina Mitchell provides and supports the company's audit response services.

Although any taxpayer may at any time receive an audit notice from the Internal Revenue Service, there are a number of elements of a tax return that can increase a person's risk. Those who earn $10 million or more, for example, have a one in five chance of being the subject of an audit, while the risk for lower earners is below 1 in 100. If a taxpayer's income drops significantly from one year to the next, the change may increase the likelihood of an audit.

Self-employed individuals may also have a higher risk of audit, particularly if their returns include home office and other business deductions but only minimal to moderate income. Careful documentation is essential if the IRS requests proof that these deductions are valid. The same holds for any taxpayer who claims home office or car deductions as an employee of a business.

The IRS also has a higher chance of auditing taxpayers whose deductions are outside the norm for their income levels. Deductions include charitable contributions as well as mortgage interest and medical expenses, all of which the IRS tracks by comparing the average within a particular income category.

Finally, the IRS is more likely to audit a taxpayer who has failed to file a required form, or whose tax information is not consistent across documents. For this reason it's extremely important for taxpayers to carefully follow IRS instructions and check their arithmetic, or to hire a reputable firm that prioritizes accuracy and attention to detail.

Maintaining a Motorcycle Chain

Alvina Mitchell, a reputable tax practitioner in Lancaster, California, provides tax planning, filing, and preparation services to clients through Mitchell Tax Professionals. When she’s not working, Alvina Mitchell loves riding Harley Davidson motorcycles. She has been riding for over two decades and spends much of her spare time on her 2004 Road King, which she renamed Road Queen.

One of the basic motorcycle parts that needs routine maintenance is the chain. The chain on a motorcycle is responsible for transferring power from the transmission to the back tire. It curves around sprockets in the front and back of the bike and is held in place by the teeth of each sprocket.

To ensure proper operation, motorcycle chains must be cleaned regularly. This removes grease and other dirt that may prevent the chain from moving as smoothly as it needs to, or cause it to wear down faster. In addition to cleaning the chain, riders must keep it well lubricated and adjust it every once in a while. Without lubrication and adjustment, motorcycle chains often wear unevenly and even lock up.

Beyond this, motorcycle chains must be inspected to ensure they are not too worn to function. Most chains last about 40,000 miles or more and can be easily checked while still on the sprockets. At the rear sprocket, riders should grab the chain and try pulling it. If it pulls at least ¼-inch away from the sprocket, it must be replaced. 

Riders can also check how worn the chain is by measuring its current length and comparing that to its original length. Chains that have grown in length by at least 2.5 percent need replacing.