When am I reasonably safe from an IRS audit?

Well if you committed fraud or, more precisely, the IRS believes you committed fraud, I don't think there is any limit on when they can audit you. So you'll never sleep better in that case.

But if you did the return honestly and there are just one or two minor issues that won't have major impacts, then I would say three years from the due date of the return, which I guess would be April 2024 assuming you didn't file an extension. If you think there is an issue that could impact income in a big way (more than 25% of income misstated), then probably six years from same.

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I am sure I did it properly, so no fraud and not more than 10% of my income...

I am familiar with the legal time limits involved... I meant more as a practical matter. I presume it goes through their computer and kicks out anything suspicious, which they might follow up on. And if that hasn't happened by XXX, it isn't likely to. I am wondering what date XXX might be. But perhaps I just don't understand the process.

I only had an issue once. NYS took exception to my deductions. I sent them 150 pages of receipts and never heard back from them.

When I have had inquiries from the IRS about a return, it usually happened within a year or two of the filing date. The one time I actually had an audit, that was also within two years of filing date.

But in the Covid world with all the cutbacks and people working from home, etc., the IRS has really been later than usual in registering returns. In my case, although I filed my 2020 return on time, it didn't show up on their website as processed until literally into 2021. I think you probably need to give it the full three years before you can stop worrying.

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State may have different statutes of limitation from the Fed.