Top Audit Triggers That Catch the Attention of the IRS According to the most recent data available from the IRS, the majority of audited returns in 2019 were for taxpayers who earned $500,000 a year or more, and most of them had incomes of over $1 million. Additionally, the only income ranges that were subject to more than a 1% chance of an audit were $5,000,000 and over. 3.