Everyone’s At Risk: Check This Box to Avoid IRS Audits!

When we think of tax audits, we often imagine that only fraudsters, businesses, the wealthy, or self-employed taxpayers are targeted. However, the truth is quite different. The tax authorities might also take an interest in an ordinary employee, someone without significant assets or extraordinary income. A mere discrepancy in the tax return, a forgotten box, or a missing piece of information could be enough to draw the scrutiny of the tax office. Therefore, anyone can be audited, regardless of their financial status, which is why it’s vital to be thorough even when the return seems straightforward.

Indeed, there’s a specific box that taxpayers frequently overlook, yet it can be crucial in avoiding a tax audit. As you know, tax authorities pre-fill the income tax forms based on data provided by employers, pension funds, unemployment offices, banks, and social agencies. Whenever you change any information, such as a donation to a charity or a tax deduction, you potentially place yourself on the tax office’s radar.

To stay off their radar, there is one particular box you should check and fill out on your return: the “explicit mention” box, as revealed by Célia Petrissans, a certified public accountant, in a video on her TikTok account (@cela_petrissans). According to the Official Bulletin of Public Finances, “the scope of ‘explicit mention’ can apply to all declarations that include elements relevant for the tax base or calculation, regardless of the type of tax involved.”

Simply put, in this box, “the taxpayer must clearly explain why they have altered a pre-filled box,” the expert explains. By doing so, they essentially protect themselves, reduce the risk of an audit and, in the event of an audit, “if they have at least explained their situation, they avoid penalties potentially related to deceit,” emphasizes Célia Petrissans.

The “explicit mention” box is usually available on your online tax return (and also on the paper version), under step 3 “Income and Deductions.” In this section, you’ll find an “Information” box where the following phrase is stated: “If you wish to bring to the tax authority’s attention any elements of your declaration about which you are unsure, indicate an explicit mention by checking the box next to it.” Once checked, a field unfolds allowing you to justify your amendment or your doubt. By following these instructions, you can stay fully compliant!