The IRS auditor asks to see your records, and if you give him your credit card statements showing your office supply charges or other deductions, he will tell you, “This isn’t the right proof.” What does he mean, “It’s not the right proof”? He expects if you are representing yourself you should know the 70,000+ pages of regulations.

(As an aside, did you know that the IRS hires many auditors off the street with barely any knowledge of tax law? Are you ready to put one of the most stressful moments of your life, and your finances, in the hands of some neophyte that just went through a quick training? How are you supposed to know they know what they’re doing?)

Here’s a scenario: what if you file your taxes and you get a notice in the mail that says, “We cannot process your income tax return because we already have one on file for you.”

That means that some fraudster stole your identity, mailed in a fake tax return in your name, and made off with a big fat refund check that was supposed to be yours.

How in the world are you supposed to prove that you are you? Are you going to “wing it” by representing yourself and hope that the tax authorities side with you? More than 600,000 taxpayers had their tax data stolen in 2015 and 2016 with $5.8 billion fraudulently claimed. So, yes, it happens a lot more than you realize.

Listen: the IRS has only one mission—to access and collect more money from you. They say that they are playing fair, but do you really believe that they have your best interests at heart? (The truth is, which the IRS will never fess up to, the agent’s annual review and performance incentives are based on how much more money they can squeeze from taxpayers like you.) The IRS has the power to garnish your wages and seize your bank accounts—something even the President of the United States cannot do. 

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