Definition:
Whichever side in a dispute must prove their case in order to win judgement, rather than simply disprove a case against them, shoulders the burden of proof. In terms of personal finance, when a taxpayer files their annual return with the IRS, the burden of proof is on the taxpayer to show that the return is complete and accurate, rather than on the IRS to prove it is not. Only in certain prescribed circumstances is the burden of proof on the IRS to show that you misled them or misstated your income information.
