05/13/2026
If the IRS audits your income tax return, you may need to produce documentation. In general, the IRS has three years to assess additional tax, starting from the date the return was filed or due, whichever is later. For example, if you filed your 2022 return by the April 18 deadline in 2023, the IRS generally has until April 18, 2026, to assess a tax deficiency. So you potentially can discard records related to that return after April 2026. But records should be held longer in certain situations. And you should keep copies of your returns forever. Call us at (601) 366-5550 with questions.