# Interbational IRS audits



## cescolar (May 31, 2013)

I read that the IRS has the right to ask you to have all foreign documents that they request translated by an translator officially accepted by the US government.

I am having an internal debate as to the wisdom of claiming a loss in the sale of 2 businesses. If I were to be audited because of it, I would not know how to find such a translator...

I live in Brazil, and the closest US Consulate is far. But I guess the Brazilian business would not be too bad...but the other one is in Spain, and I might have to travel there to find a translator?

Does anybody have any experience where a regular expat person (not a zillionaire but a regular retiree) has gotten audited?
Do they give you plenty of time to provide the documents they want translated?


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

I believe that the IRS office that covers Spain is probably the Paris office. (There are only 3 IRS offices outside the US, I think.) In any event, were you to be audited, you could probably ask the Paris IRS office for a list of official translators for the documents you'd need. However, given that most tax forms and instructions are available in Spanish in the US, I kind of think they might not "need" the official translation.

File this under "things you shouldn't worry about until the IRS actually poses the question."
Cheers,
Bev


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