Just looking at the raw numbers, less than 1% of filers have been audited by the IRS in recent tax years. Based on the latest data available, for example, in tax year 2021 the IRS pursued a mere 0.3% of filers overall.
The audit rate has been higher for select groups of taxpayers based on certain characteristics – like the amount or types of income they report or specific tax breaks they claim. But even there, with very few exceptions, audits typically affect less than 10% of any given group and often a far smaller share – smaller as in, again, less than 1%.
But