New questions every week. Scores and streaks live only in your browser — no account, no email, no sign-up.
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How Audit Bait works
Classic Audit Bait is a 7-question run. There is no clock: tap an answer and the game shows you whether you were right, why, and the exact IRS page the answer comes from. A fresh set of 7 questions lands every week.
Beat the Notice is the timed mode: 60 seconds, questions drawn from the same bank in rapid fire. A correct answer adds 5 seconds; a wrong answer ends the run on the spot, and your score is how many you got right with time still on the clock. It is an honor-system score — screenshot it, share it, challenge a friend to beat it.
The running theme of every question: what the IRS already gets reported by someone else gets matched by computer; what you claim yourself, you may have to prove. W-2 wages and bank interest arrive on forms filed by your employer and your bank. Your car expenses, your cash income, your deductions — those live in your records. Knowing which is which is the whole game. Got an actual letter instead? The free IRS Notice Decoder reads it in plain English.
What the answers are based on
Every answer in this game comes from published IRS guidance — no folklore, no “my preparer said.” Week 1 sources:
- IRS, IRS Audits — how returns are selected (including computer screening) and how audits are initiated (by mail).
- IRS, Understanding your CP2000 notice — what happens when third-party reports don’t match your return.
- IRS, Offer in Compromise — settling a tax debt for less than the full amount, when eligible.
- IRS, Payment plans; installment agreements — paying a balance over time.
- IRS Tax Tip, Taxpayers must report gig economy income on their tax return — cash and side income is taxable even without a 1099.
- IRS Topic No. 510, Business use of car — recordkeeping and substantiation for car deductions.
Quick answers
How does Audit Bait work?
Two ways to play. Classic: 7 questions, untimed — tap an answer and get the reveal, a plain-English explanation, and the IRS source for every answer. Beat the Notice: the same question bank against a 60-second clock — each correct answer adds 5 seconds, and one wrong answer ends the run.
What are the answers based on?
Published IRS guidance on irs.gov — the IRS Audits page, the CP2000 notice guide, the Offer in Compromise page, the payment plans page, IRS Topic No. 510, and the IRS tax tip on gig economy income. Each reveal names its source; the full list is above.
Does the game tell me anything about my own taxes?
No. Audit Bait is a general-information game — it explains how IRS matching and audit selection work in general, not what you should do in your case. If you have an actual IRS notice, balance due, or audit, book a free 15-minute case review with a licensed CPA — that’s the real next step.
Do I need an account or an email to play?
No. There are no accounts and no sign-ups. Your scores and streak are stored only in your own browser (localStorage); nothing about your play is sent to us.
Why is it called Audit Bait?
Because the gap is the bait: income the IRS receives from third parties gets matched by computer, while the deductions you claim yourself are the ones you may have to prove. Audits and notices are born in that gap — the game teaches you to see it.