Although it is not possible to avoid a tax audit with certainty, the best way to prepare for one is to avoid making mistakes. This is easy to say; but because we are all human, we are all prone to making errors but make every effort to be accurate and complete, this is very important if you want to avoid an audit.
The IRS conducts three kinds of audits; correspondence, office and field. Correspondence audits done through the mail and usually only deal with one issue or the audit team has a question, normally this type of audit can be handled quickly. Office audits are more serious; you will be called to appear in an IRS office to answer questions about your return. In cases like this the taxpayer is well advised to consult IRS tax attorneys in Atlanta, having your tax attorney accompany you to the audit is beneficial due to their in depth knowledge of tax law. The third type of audit is a field audit where the IRS auditors visit the home or office of the taxpayer; when this happens the entire tax return is open to audit, including any supporting documents.
A tax return can be subject to audit within three years of when it was filed and back taxes, if any are found owing, can be collected back 10 years. Although this is the norm, exceptions to the rule do exist. The IRS can extend the limits should they deem that there is tax evasion, false return or not filing any returns at all.
In the event you do receive an audit request the first thing you must do is contact IRS tax attorneys in Atlanta, do not respond without legal advice. Even the most innocent looking letter from the IRS can be a signal of worse things to come. As tax law is extremely complex and constantly changing your reply to the request must be crafted with someone knowledgeable with tax law.
If an audit pushes through make sure all your records are in order. If you are missing documents then get them, ask the bank for all your bank statements, ask the credit card companies for your records and ask for information from vendors to support your cause. The IRS often focus on under-reported income from a cash business as well as business travel, entertainment and meals, these are top targets for IRS auditors.
You can survive an IRS audit if you are well prepared and you have the guidance and counsel of IRS tax attorneys in Atlanta. You are invited to call Jeffrey L. Cohen, Attorney at Law to discuss your particular issues.
