Alexandria IRS Audit and Appeals Lawyer

If the IRS sees anything on your tax return that seems suspicious or unaccounted for, they may conduct an audit to determine if there was any unreported income or overstated deductions. For these reasons, Schedule C, Profit and Loss from Business, is the most IRS-audited part of all tax returns.

An Alexandria IRS audit and appeals lawyer could help you prepare for the audit and navigate it properly. Diligent preparation could increase your chances of a favorable outcome – with the possibility of an official appeal if you believe there was an error with the findings.

Why You Might Have Received an Audit Notice

Audit notices come in the mail and will explain that the IRS intends to audit a particular tax return, which could be either a personal income tax return or a business return for a given year or period of years. Sometimes they are interested in auditing only one aspect of the return. In such cases, the audit notice will describe what they intend to review; however, an audit can expand to other items of a tax return and other years.

The IRS has various selection criteria for selecting a return for examination, including:

• Reported earnings that vary significantly from prior years
• Claimed a dependent that someone else claimed on their return
• Is self-employed
• Omitted important forms or documents from their return
• Could be liable for payroll tax
• Holds foreign financial accounts
• Statistical analysis and random selection

These are common reasons that the IRS flags somebody’s returns for audit, but many other factors could influence an audit decision.

The audit notice will describe the documents that the IRS wants to review and assembling the requested documentation is often the most time-consuming aspect of an IRS audit. An Alexandria attorney could review the IRS audit notice and the taxpayer’s records to ensure compliance with the request.

Navigating the Audit Process

Many audits are correspondence audits in which the IRS requests copies of specific documents. Once the taxpayer complies with the request, the IRS reviews the produced documents at their offices and informs the taxpayer of their findings when the audit is complete.

Field audits are more complicated, and will take place at a local IRS office or the taxpayer’s business. It is important to work with an Alexandria attorney if the IRS is conducting a field audit. They could handle communication between the taxpayer and auditor, and be present while the auditor reviews documents. In most cases, the taxpayer does not need to be present at the field audit and can be conducted from the office of the taxpayer’s attorney.

When the audit is complete, the IRS will send the taxpayer an examination report. The report will detail any financial discrepancies or misapplication of the law that they identified during the audit. The examination might result in a refund of overpaid tax, a finding that the tax paid was correct, or an assessment of additional tax due. If the IRS assesses additional taxes, the taxpayer has the ability to pay the balance in full in one payment or request an installment agreement to pay over time.

Appealing an IRS Audit Result

A taxpayer can request the IRS Independent Office of Appeals review the decision if they are dissatisfied with the audit’s results. When the audit resulted in a tax assessment of less than $25,000, the taxpayer could file a small case appeal. If the assessment exceeds $25,000 or the taxpayer is a partnership or S-corporation, the small case claim option is not available and the taxpayer must file a formal protest of the tax assessment.

A taxpayer must file a request for an appeal within 30 days of the date of the Letter 525. The appeal must describe the findings the taxpayer disagrees with and the reasons why they believe the audit result is incorrect. It is advisable for a taxpayer in Alexandria to have an IRS appeals attorney draft the appeal on their behalf.

In many cases, the Appeals Office will schedule a conference by phone or in person to discuss the issues in dispute. If the conference does not resolve the issue, a taxpayer could file a complaint in U.S. Tax Court. Very few cases end up going to Tax Court; almost all tax disputes reach a reasonable resolution through the appeals process.

Reach Out to an Alexandria Audit and Appeals Attorney as Soon as Possible

No matter your opinion on why the IRS selected you for an audit, you must closely follow their procedures. Finding an Alexandria IRS audit and appeals lawyer to handle the process is usually a wise and cost-efficient decision.

A tax attorney could identify any vulnerabilities and challenge the audit findings in an appeal, if necessary. Schedule a consultation with us if you receive notice from the IRS.