IRS tax relief
IRS Audit
Most audits are narrower than the word suggests. What turns a small one into a large one is usually not the original issue. It is what gets volunteered along the way.
You are probably here because
- You received a letter asking about specific items on a return
- An appointment has been scheduled at an IRS office
- A revenue agent asked to visit your home or business
- You have already answered questions and it seems to be widening
What this actually means
There are three kinds. A correspondence audit is handled by mail on one or two items and is the most common by far. An office audit brings you in. A field audit brings an agent to you and is the most serious.
An auditor may open other years or other issues if what they see invites it. Scope is the thing worth protecting, and it is protected by answering exactly what was asked.
Being selected does not mean you did something wrong. Returns get pulled for statistical scoring, mismatched third-party documents, or simply being related to another return under examination.
What can be done
Do not attend alone
With representation on file, the auditor deals with us. You do not sit in the room, and you do not answer questions on the spot that would be better answered with the records in front of you.
Answer precisely
Everything requested, nothing more. Most audit expansion traces back to information nobody asked for.
Substantiate the position
Reconstructed records, industry-accepted methods and the case law behind the deduction, assembled before the response goes out, not after.
Appeal a bad result
An examination report is not the last word. Appeals is a separate function with more latitude to settle, and it frequently produces a better outcome.
Audit reconsideration
If an audit was already decided without you, because you never got the letters, it can often be reopened.
How fast
A correspondence audit can close in a couple of months. Office and field examinations run longer, often six months or more. Deadlines in the letters are real, and missing one turns a negotiable position into an assessed balance.
Common questions
Should I just send them what they asked for?+
Send what was requested and nothing else, but have someone look at it first. What appears to be a simple document request is sometimes the doorway to a much broader question.
Can they look at other years?+
Yes, if something in the year under examination points there. Keeping the examination contained is a large part of what representation is for.
What if I cannot find my records?+
Records can be reconstructed, and the IRS accepts recognised methods for doing it. Missing paperwork weakens a position, it does not end it.
Every case turns on its own facts, and outcomes depend on your finances and the discretion of the taxing authority. Nothing here is a promise of a particular result.
Let’s talk
Ready to work with a CPA who actually explains it?
Start with a free 30-minute intro call. Bring your questions, your notices, or just a rough idea of what you need. You will leave the call knowing exactly what the next step is and what it costs.