It seems that everyone who files their federal tax return runs into some form of IRS audit. In fact, it is so common that we actually have a term for what IRS auditors usually do-they audit their own tax return. For the tax filer, this can be very scary and frustrating, said an IRS tax settlement lawyer in Richmond, VA. In most cases, a tax auditor will ask questions about why you made certain decisions with your tax return and look for any evidence that will help them determine if you committed tax fraud or a tax violation.
Do Not Call IRS. When you receive a notice from the IRS that your tax due is being audited, it is important that you do not call IRS immediately. First, the IRS will give you a notice explaining that they are auditing the tax due based on certain tax law matters. Second, most tax law experts (and most tax attorneys) strongly recommend not contacting IRS in advance of an audit. Most tax law experts will advise that you wait until after an audit has been conducted in order to determine if you owe additional tax liability or not.
Contact Your Tax Lawyer. If you feel that you are likely to need the services of tax attorneys during your IRS audit, then you should definitely contact tax law firms and agents that specialize in representing tax payers. Taxpayers often hire tax law attorneys in order to gain advice regarding the tax issues that they face with their tax return. Hiring tax law experts allows you to gain objective advice from tax attorneys who are experienced in tax law matters and have knowledge of IRS regulations and laws.
Do Not Make a Counterpleasure to Avoid an Audit. One of the ways that tax attorneys and other tax experts typically advise clients not to communicate with the IRS is to not do anything to try to prepare for an audit. Most of us tend to become overly familiar and prepared for an audit. We begin to think in terms of strategies and defensive procedures in order to best prepare for such an audit. Although communication is required between you and the IRS, you should not make it worse by preparing for another audit.
Do Not Ignore Your Personal Records. You should be very careful not to destroy your personal records even if you feel that you are being audited. Auditors (in most cases) are only looking for proof of income or tax liability. In some tax law issues, the person being audited may also be looking for proof of criminal behavior which is perfectly legal according to the tax codes.
Most tax audit lawyers and tax law professionals will tell you to turn over all documents that are relevant to the audit request to minimize the time it takes for the audit to be completed. It is also important to cooperate with the IRS agents, so as to give them a better idea of what tax liability you may be facing. IRS agents have a legal mandate to collect all evidence they can from you. If cooperation does not solve the problem, then you may need to hire additional help from tax audit attorney and/or tax law firm.