Every year, United States citizens are required by law to file federal and state tax returns.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) uses an audit to examine the financial records and your personal or business tax returns. Audits help determine whether your records are accurate. The IRS has a process for conducting an audit through a systematic review of past transactions. Therefore, the IRS may investigate your financial statements and accounting records during an audit.

It is not uncommon for some businesses (particularly larger earning companies) to have a routine audit once per year. On the other hand, it is unusual for personal tax returns to go through an audit. In fact, the IRS audits less than one percent of all returns each year, and the vast majority of audits are conducted via mail correspondence.

Everyone that files a tax return has the possibility of getting audited. Which is why you need to prepare and file an accurate tax return. In the unfortunate event of an audit, it is extremely important to retain a professional to represent you, or your business.

Personal income filers and small business owners are responsible for filing their taxes every year. You not only need to file taxes, but you also need to do so correctly.

Consequently, the IRS sometimes targets small businesses more than personal income returns to make sure their accounting books are accurate. By a careful review of your records, an IRS agent can determine if your records are consistent with the tax return that was filed.

While a tax audit does not mean that you did anything wrong (it merely means the IRS needs more information to verify the accuracy of your return), it is still a stressful and hectic process.

The professionals that provide audit defense at Levy & Associates are well aware of the audit process and are perfectly positioned to create a plan and represent you or your company every step of the way.

A strong and knowledgeable professional that can represent you in an audit can eliminate a lot of time and effort you would otherwise need to dedicate to the IRS examination. Additionally, because some agents are known to be pushy, it also avoids the hassle and stress defending yourself on your own.

Since most taxpayers that represent themselves lack knowledge and experience dealing with the IRS, they are more likely to be taken advantage of, which makes hiring a professional all the more important.

Audit representation is a much more thorough type of service. Your Power of Attorney goes to bat for you during appointments, telephone conferences, and will advocate for your rights as a taxpayer.

Our tax professionals will tackle the bulk of the work of your audit, easing your burden and allowing you to focus on the day-to-day operations of your company or work.

Since audits are time-consuming and demanding, the best way to remedy a sticky situation with the federal government is to consult a tax professional. Instead of facing the situation alone or dealing with a faceless prepaid service, contact Levy & Associates as soon as possible.

Taxpayers and small business owners tend to panic whenever they hear the nasty five-letter word “audit.” However, there’s no need to panic, as audits are part of the normal tax process and do not always mean that you did anything wrong.

Most audits are conducted through mail correspondence and usually only require minor adjustments or clarifications. On the other hand, business audits are far more complicated, time-consuming, and stressful.

Possibly the biggest challenge with audits is that they consume a lot of your time. Even if it turns out you did not file incorrectly, you will spend more time with an auditor than you’d prefer. For example, you will receive notices, need to contact the IRS, gather records, meet for appointments, and deal with the aftermath of a decision.

Hiring the right audit defense can take a substantial amount of that workload off your plate so you can get back to running your business. The best aspect of retaining professional representation is that you’ll be working with a professional who is used to dealing with the IRS. The Levy staff is very well versed in the intricacies of representation throughout the IRS examine process. Tax professionals know how to create a personalized defense while dealing with the paperwork and collection of records. Furthermore, they’ll represent you at hearings and protect your rights as a tax payer.

You are far more likely to receive a favorable outcome from an audit with a professional advocating your position that also understands the process and your rights as a tax payer. Anyone that goes at it alone will spend far more time dealing with the IRS directly, especially if they lack experience with the government agency. Audits can take weeks, months, or even years, depending on the complexity of the issue.

While the chances of getting audited are slim, you should not play around with the outcome if you or your business is the unlucky recipient of an IRS or state audit. The decision of an audit could impact the future of your income or the business. It is not something worth risking, especially when you can hire a knowledgeable and experienced professional to represent them in the audit.

As a result, most small business owners are more than willing to hire a professional to represent them before the IRS or state taxing authority. Think of it as hiring a lawyer to represent you in a lawsuit that was brought against your business. It is simply better to defend yourself with an experienced team compared to going it alone.

At Levy & Associates, you’re a valued client—not a number. You can rest assured that we’ll put our extensive experience to work defending you throughout the audit process.