An IRS audit is a review of an individual’s or organization’s tax return by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to ensure that the information reported on the return is accurate and complete. While an audit can be a stressful experience, it’s important to understand that it does not directly impact your credit score.
The IRS and Credit Bureaus
Credit bureaus, such as Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, collect and maintain information about individuals’ credit history, including their payment history, credit utilization, and outstanding debts. This information is used to calculate credit scores, which are numerical representations of an individual’s creditworthiness.
The IRS, on the other hand, is responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing tax laws. It does not report tax debt or audit information to credit bureaus. Therefore, an IRS audit will not directly affect your credit score.
Tax Liens and Credit Scores
While an IRS audit itself does not impact credit scores, unpaid tax debts can lead to the imposition of a tax lien. A tax lien is a legal claim against your property that secures the government’s interest in collecting unpaid taxes. Tax liens can appear on your credit report and negatively impact your credit score.
Impact of Audits on Credit Scores
Although an IRS audit does not directly affect credit scores, it can indirectly impact your credit if it leads to financial difficulties. For example, if an audit results in a large tax bill that you cannot afford to pay, you may have to take on additional debt to cover the expense. This could lead to missed payments on your other debts, which would negatively impact your credit score.
Improving Your Credit Score After an Audit
If your credit score has been impacted by an IRS audit, there are steps you can take to improve it:
- Pay off your tax debt: The most important step is to pay off your tax debt in full. This will remove the tax lien from your credit report and improve your credit score.
- Make regular, on-time payments: Establish a consistent payment history by making all of your debt payments on time, including your credit cards, loans, and any outstanding tax debt.
- Reduce your credit utilization: Keep your credit utilization ratio, which is the amount of credit you’re using compared to your total available credit, below 30%.
- Dispute any errors: If you find any errors on your credit report, dispute them with the credit bureau.
An IRS audit does not directly affect your credit score. However, unpaid tax debts can lead to tax liens, which can negatively impact your credit. If an audit results in financial difficulties, it could also lead to missed payments on other debts, further damaging your credit score. By paying off your tax debt, making regular, on-time payments, reducing your credit utilization, and disputing any errors on your credit report, you can improve your credit score after an audit.
What the IRS is actually looking for that could trigger a tax audit
FAQ
Am I in trouble if I get audited?
Can the IRS affect your credit score?
Is a tax audit a big deal?
Can a tax lien ruin your credit?
Does an IRS audit affect your credit score?
No, an IRS audit does not directly affect your credit score. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) doesn’t report tax debt to credit bureaus, so it won’t influence your credit (unlike other kinds of debt like credit cards or loans). Even if you owe money to the government, your credit score won’t fall.
Will paying taxes affect my credit score?
Paying your taxes usually won’t affect your credit scores one way or the other, and the IRS’ payment plans may be the best option if you can’t afford your tax bill by the filing deadline. But if you think a credit card or loan makes sense, your credit scores can affect your offers and the new accounts can affect your credit.
How does owing the IRS affect my credit score?
To understand how owing the IRS may affect your credit, you should first know how credit scores are calculated. According to MyFICO, there are five separate components that contribute to your overall FICO® score; if the IRS issues a federal tax lien, the tax owed will negatively impact your “Payment history” and “Amounts owed”.
Does being audited affect your credit score?
Being audited will not necessarily negatively affect your credit score. However, the outcome of the audit can affect your credit score. If it’s determined that you underpaid your taxes and you have an outstanding balance, your ability to repay this debt could affect your credit score.