How Long is an IRS Audit?

On: August 31, 2018

The following is a quote from the IRSA website:

How long does an audit take?

The length varies depending on the type of audit; the complexity of the issues; the availability of information requested; the availability of both parties for scheduling meetings; and your agreement or disagreement with the findings.

Not very helpful. My experience is as follows;

Individual W2 Employee – 4 to 6 weeks

Individual 1099 contractor with minimal business expenses: 6 to 8 weeks

Individual 1099 contractor with average business expenses: 8 to 12 weeks

Individual 1099 contractor with extensive/unusual expenses: 3 to 6 months

Small business owner with 10 or less employees: 3 to 6 months

Small to medium size business owner with between 10 and 50 employees: 3 to 9 months

The above reflects my experience. I have heard of audits of publicly traded companies taking up to 2 years. Audits of international accounts and multinational corporations can take longer. Appeals and audit reconsiderations can stretch out the above process much longer.