What is Tax Audit Representation?
Tax audit representation is a service provided by a tax professional, such as an Enrolled Agent, CPA, or tax attorney, in which he or she stands in on behalf of a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) during an IRS or state income tax audit.
During a tax audit or examination, the taxpayer is allowed to have an authorized representative who will deal with the IRS and all states on his or her behalf.
To represent the taxpayer, the representative must be authorized to practice before the IRS or state by possessing specific credentials. The credentials needed to practice before the IRS in an income tax audits include attorneys, CPAs, and enrolled agents.
Your authorized representative researches and develops the strategy used to defend your tax position and then will assist you in the preparation of all the documents requested by the IRS or State(s) and attends all the meetings and corresponds with the tax authorities on your behalf.
What To Do If You Get Audited
If you get audited, know that there are options and steps to take. No need to panic.
The majority of audits are just requests for additional information about your tax returns, usually dealt with by mail correspondence. In some instances, you might get a letter asking for a meeting with an IRS agent to discuss your tax return.
Well there’s no need to panic, but there are certain steps you should take.
Don’t ignore the letter
This is very important issue that many taxpayers take lightly, thinking that ignoring a letter from the IRS would result in the problem going away. If you received a letter from the IRS, DO NOT ignore it. That's the worst thing you can you. It will not resolve anything, the issue will not be forgotten or forgiven, it just will not stop unless you take the necessary steps to resolve your tax situation. You or your authorized representative should respond to the letter as soon as possible providing all the documentation requested. If needed, your representative can request additional time to gather all the information.
This is the time in which you decide if you want to handle the case by yourself or if you should seek the help of a professional to handle your case before the IRS. If you would like to know your options, please contact us for a free consultation. Whether you retain our services or not, you will still have a clearer idea about what you need to do and the IRS' collection process.
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