Interesting article in the weekend Wall Street Journal, How to Fight the IRS; Audits Soar Among the Rich; Taking the Tax Man to Court, by Tom Herman:

The IRS has stepped up its attempts to rake in more overdue taxes, and it isn’t being shy about auditing more people and clamping down more frequently with tactics such as levies and even asset seizures when it thinks someone needs to cough up more money. IRS officials have particularly zeroed in on individuals making $100,000 and above. Last year, more than 219,000 people with incomes in that group were hit with an audit, up about 32% from the previous year….

With the IRS intensifying its crackdown, growing numbers of Americans could soon be facing a tough decision: Whether to fight back, or simply cry uncle and cut a check. While the notion of fighting the IRS strikes dread into the hearts of citizens everywhere, the fact is that many people actually stand to benefit by doing battle with Goliath. There’s an array of options, ranging from a simple appeals process to taking the tax man to court.