However you decide to file your taxes you should know that even a minor error could cause you to be audited. An audit is really just the government’s way of checking over your finances to make sure that you have paid the correct amount of taxes. You may have incorrectly entered your job status or forgot to claim casino winnings. You may have taken too many deductions in a certain category which raised a red flag for the IRS. Whatever the reason, no taxpayer ever wants to receive an audit letter in the mail. We will prepare your personal or business taxes and stand behind them.
The Audit Process
If you use computer software to prepare your taxes and are audited, there is absolutely no representation from that software company to protect you, should you receive an audit letter. As you prepare your taxes, that computer program will not alert you if it notices certain discrepancies in your tax filings that may raise a red flag for an audit. Basically, if you prepare your taxes yourself, you are out of luck. You must go through the entire audit process on your own. You will be asked to either send back more documentation in the mail or you may even be asked to appear in person. At some point you will either be asked to contact your auditor or he or she may contact you. The auditor will go on to further explain why you have been audited and what steps will need to be taken in order to verify the accuracy of your original tax forms. The process can be lengthy and invasive. They may ask for bank statements for the past few years, income verification or verification of your filing status and / or dependents. Should they find a discrepancy, the audit process will conclude by either having you pay a fine by assessing additional taxes, which could include additional penalties and interest. In rare cases, it may even include the garnishing of wages or even jail time. When you are audited by the IRS, the last thing you’ll want to do is go through it alone.
Audit Defense
We will defend you in the event of an audit. If we were not the ones to have prepared your taxes and you were audited, we will review your case and help you get through the audit process in the quickest, least intrusive way possible. Whether we were the ones to have prepared your taxes or not, if you issue us the right of power of attorney, we may legally represent you in all communications in dealing with your tax auditor and the IRS, which is the least intrusive way to get through the audit process. All filings and paperwork could go through our office and we will handle everything. An audit can be a frightening process for any individual or business owner. Unfortunately, the process could uncover other mistakes made, which could potentially open your case up for further review. Don’t go through an audit alone. We are audit defense specialists.