W.R.
Great work, positive response and always communicating with me on my issues. Highly recommend this company and its staff.
First off, don’t panic if you learn you’re being audited by the Internal Revenue Service! TV and the movies make a federal tax audit seem more common and serious than they often are. An IRS tax audit is something that happens all the time, and it doesn’t mean you or your business are in any kind of hot water.
Here’s everything you need to know about an audit of your tax return.
To put it simply, an IRS tax audit is a review of your business’ (or your) accounts and financial information. The IRS wants to make sure your tax information is entered correctly based on current tax laws and to confirm that the reported amount of tax is correct.
An audit of your tax return isn’t super likely. The IRS as a federal agency has been cut back, despite a growing number of tax filers. In fact, from 2010 to 2017, the total number of audits decreased by 40%. And if you haven’t experienced explosive wealth or are consistently raking in millions, the IRS likely won’t spend much time on your file.
All that said, it’s very important to make sure your tax return is accurate, even if you hire a professional tax advisor to file on your behalf. Every federal income tax return is unique, and tax credits and laws can be confusing and overwhelming, even for the pros.
The IRS uses multiple methods for determining who to audit:
An experienced auditor reviews the information and determines if any audit flags exist, at which point they’ll either accept your tax return or pass it along to an examining group for additional review.
The IRS will contact you by mail. They will not reach out to you via email or phone.
Typically, the IRS will look at anything from the last three years. However, if your case signals multiple audit flags, they may opt to go back farther. Still, they usually stay within the last six years, which is why you should keep your last seven years of tax returns, income information, and certain documents.
How long an audit takes to complete relies on numerous factors, including the complexity of your issues, the availability of information, and your cooperation. Your audit will take place either via mail or an in-person interview.
Your best move is to cooperate with the IRS. They’ll reach out to you via mail with an audit letter to inform you of the audit process. With it, they’ll include a list of specific, requested documents, so it’s best that you retrieve those and prepare for submission. You can submit some documents or records electronically, but you’ll want to get in touch with your auditing agent to learn what you can expect.
There are options available if you need additional time to track down certain documents or find availability to complete your audit. However, for your own best interest and peace of mind, it’s best to take care of your audit in a timely manner.
The IRS will conclude its audit, and there are three possible outcomes:
If you owe money, you’ll be expected to pay it according to your examination report. You have payment options, just in case you owe a hefty amount.
If you disagree, you are entitled to request a conference with an IRS manager, or you can file an appeal. Hopefully, you won’t need to explore either option!
In addition to professional and respectful treatment from IRS agents, you can expect to be granted confidentiality and privacy, a reason for your audit, a right to representation, and the right to appeal disagreements. A complete list of your rights as a taxpayer can be found here.
Remember that an audit isn’t the end of the world, or the end of your business.
When it comes to an audit, the key takeaway is that you shouldn’t take an audit lightly, but you should refrain from panicking. Work confidently with your assigned IRS agent, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. As long as you’re cooperating and providing the information they ask for, you’ll be okay. And as long as your tax returns have been prepared correctly, you’ll have nothing to worry about!
Finally, seek help when you need it. The tax relief experts at Heartland Tax Solutions are available and ready to assist you with any tax or audit issue. With decades of tax resolution experience, they’ll be with you throughout the audit process and provide you sound advice and confidence that each step you make is the right one.
Reach out to a Heartland Tax Solutions specialist right away.
Great work, positive response and always communicating with me on my issues. Highly recommend this company and its staff.
Did exactly what they said they would do. No complaints. Definitely recommend
They were exquisite! I was with another legal team before them, and Heartland Tax Solutions corrected all their mistakes, they gave me the best options that fit my financial situation, and gave me a peace of mind. I would recommend them to anyone!
So I hired another lawyer firm out of Florida called the *** ******* *******! They have since changed there name to ***** *******! (Please DONT call them!!) in March 2017 that seemed to have great reviews online.After giving them 20k to represent me with the IRS, in which the IRS was stating that I owed 500k these lawyers claimed that this was no problem they always handle big cases like mine. So I felt confident they were going to get this taken care of for me. After months and months of no contact I would try and call my advisor
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