IRS Audit Rate (2026)
0.38%
Overall IRS audit rate for individual returns
Summary
The IRS audited approximately 0.38% of individual tax returns in 2026 — about 1 in 263 returns. Audit risk is sharply higher for high earners (1.7% for $1M+ income) and lower for middle earners (0.2-0.4%). The Inflation Reduction Act funded enforcement on $400K+ households specifically. Most audits are correspondence, not in-person.
Breakdown
Source
IRS Data Book / TRAC Reports· As of 2026-Q1
Related stats
More taxes stats
All Pulsafi stats are sourced from primary government data and major financial institutions. Read the full methodology and data-sources page.