[Citrus Heights] – TaxAudit.com, the IRS audit defense specialists, announced findings from a study of 1.4 million U.S. tax returns for the 2013 tax year, which reveals the states with the highest chance of a tax audit.

The study found California and Colorado taxpayers had a higher chance of an IRS audit than taxpayers in any other states, while New York and Massachusetts had the highest chance of an audit of their 2013 state tax return. Taxpayers in North Dakota were the least likely to be audited by either the IRS or state.

Rankings are based on the percentage of 2013 TaxAudit.com Audit Defense users that were audited in 2014.

States with the most IRS audits

1. California

2. Colorado

3. Nevada

4. Vermont

5. Missouri

6. New Mexico

7. Arizona

8. Massachusetts

9. Florida

10. Rhode Island

States with the most state audits

1. New York

2. Massachusetts

3. Alabama

4. Delaware

5. Michigan

6. Mississippi

7. Arkansas

8. Oregon

9. Montana

10. Maine

“Even though you might not live in a highly audited state like California or New York, anyone can be audited at any time for any number of reasons,” said Dave Du Val, veteran tax expert and VP of Customer Advocacy at TaxAudit.com. “Just because it’s last minute, it’s not worth cutting any corners. Remember to report all your income, make sure you truly qualify for the tax deductions you’re claiming, and always verify that your return was accepted by the IRS if you e-file. Plus it’s never too early to think about next year’s taxes: Get organized now, keep your receipts, and contribute to qualified retirement accounts.”

About TaxAudit.com

TaxAudit.com is the largest and fastest-growing audit defense service in the country for taxpaying individuals, small businesses and tax preparers, with over 6 million members and 24,000 audits handled and resolved each year.

Headquartered in Citrus Heights, TaxAudit.com offers IRS audit representation and defends taxpayers from the moment they receive an audit notice through to the best possible resolution. TaxAudit.com members receive expert tax representation, relieving taxpayers from the nightmare of being audited, at a price point any taxpayer can afford.

About the Findings

Data were gathered from 1.4 million 2013 TaxAudit.com Audit Defense users who saw audits in 2014 of their 2013 tax return. Rankings are calculated as a percentage of users in each state.