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One of the main areas that are audited is charitable donations. Some of the things that
you can do if charitable donations are included in your audit, is make sure that you prepare
when you're preparing your return, and keeping the proper documentation and receipts. You
want to make sure that you have a list of all the items that you're donating to the
charitable organization. And you, so that, that list can be taken to the IRS Audit. Now,
on that list you want to make sure that you have what type of item it was and what the
value is. You want to say if it's hardback books, or possibly if it's paperback books,
and how many books you gave. If it's a collector's set of books, then obviously that would have
a different value. What you want as far as documentation goes for your IRS Audit, is
what's going to substantiate that deduction that you've taken. Instead of just saying
I gave away ten bags of clothes, you need to make sure that you enumerate what's in
those bags. It may be grocery bags or it may be large trash bags. That could have a very
different deduction value. Instead of also just saying that you gave a couch to Goodwill,
you need to make sure that you describe that couch. It could be a Fine Leather Italian
Couch, or it could be a rattered-tattered old couch that's been around for years and
years, and passed down in the family, and really doesn't have a significant economic
value. To further support your deductions, you might consider taking pictures of your
donations, especially if those donations are going to be large in dollar amount. So, that
if you are audited, what you need to take to that IRS Audit is your list, the value
that you determined, and also pictures of those items if you have them, would always
be helpful as well.