Man Launches Selfies Strategy in Case of an IRS Audit
There aren’t likely many U.S. taxpayers who would welcome a bit of inquiry from the Internal Revenue Service. IRS audits are not fun and have a way of draining the target emotionally and financially. Those are the reasons why anyone embroiled in a controversy over taxes and facing an audit is wisely advised to seek the help of an experienced attorney.
Andrew Jarvis may be the exception to the rule, however. He has apparently gone to such extreme lengths to document that he has run his business in a completely aboveboard manner and properly paid all of his taxes that he says, “I kind of wouldn’t mind” an IRS audit.
We figure this is someone our Washington readers would like to know more about.
Jarvis’ attention to detail is apparently deeply ingrained in his character. He’s an architect — a job that demands particular precision. He lives in Philadelphia. But in 2012 he opened a branch office in New York and began renting an apartment there.
As a matter of practice he began splitting his time between the two cities, making sure that he spends 49 percent of his time in New York and 51 percent of his time at his Philadelphia home.
Being a man of vision, he began to wonder what might happen if he were to come under IRS audit scrutiny. As a preemptive measure, he launched a documentary effort that features all the things one might expect, such as saving receipts for expenses, including Easy Pass records and train ticket stubs.
As an added measure, he began to randomly take time-stamped digital photos of himself. Each one features a straight-faced Jarvis in the foreground with his Philadelphia home in the background. In addition to being time-stamped, some pictures feature Jarvis holding newspapers showing the day’s date.
Jarvis’ daughter found the images last week and found them so funny she felt compelled to create the InternalRevenueSelfies Instagram page.
Jarvis isn’t angry about the move, though he admits he worries it might be tempting fate. He says he isn’t looking to be audited. But he says, considering what he’s gone through to record his business doings, “it would be nice to share it with someone to prove I’ve done my work.”
Source:Time, “This Man Is Using Selfies as A Weapon To Fight Off The IRS,” Laura Stampler, March 19, 2014
