Tax Services
Audit Protection
PROTECT Yourself From the IRS in Case You Get an Income Tax Notice or Audit…
Sleep Better at Night Knowing You Don’t Have to Pay Thousands of Dollars or Waste MONTHS of Your Time Dealing with the Tax Authorities…
You go to your mailbox, pull everything out, and look for something more exciting than the usual bills and junk mail, and then you see it—
an envelope with the return address “Internal Revenue Service” stamped on it. And this isn’t the one that has the clear window with your refund check showing through.
As you stare at the envelope, your heart starts to race, you break out in a sweat, and you start to pray (even if you aren’t religious) that it’s not bad news. You open the letter and it’s a notice that the IRS is either questioning items on your tax return, or you’re going to be audited. Worse yet, you find out someone stole your identity, filed a tax return in your name, and collected a fraudulent refund!
You might be wondering why you received this notice in the first place since you have a Tax Professional preparing your tax return. Here’s the truth—even if you have a professional preparing your tax return, you are subject to being audited for a variety of reasons, one of them being you were selected at random.
While we make every effort to prepare your tax return as completely and accurately as possible, oftentimes there are missing items (such as 1099’s) we were not informed of at the time the return was prepared, which will draw the scrutiny of the IRS. Even people who have professionals prepare their returns are audited, or receive notices, and can benefit from audit protection
The letter the IRS sent you is claiming you owe them money, or claiming you didn’t report something properly, or claiming something you reported shouldn’t have been reported. However, because they claim it does not make it a fact. The IRS will want to talk to you and ask you questions; are you prepared to answer them? Or what if they say one or even several of your deductions were not allowed to be taken; are you prepared to tell them otherwise? How are you supposed to make sense of the letter they sent you that can be anywhere from 2 to 11 pages that’s filled with verbiage that’s pretty much intended for an expert to understand?
You might think, “I’ll just call the phone number on the notice and see what this is all about,” but be prepared that you’re about to start a very long period of wasted time dialing, being put on hold, and even being hung up on. That’s right—you can be waiting on the phone for 30 minutes and then they hang up on you! The IRS calls this a “courtesy” disconnect.
Many times the IRS wants you to go to their offices. Do you want to go down to the IRS office by yourself, pass through security as tight as an airport terminal, then meet with an IRS agent who will show you his badge that lets you know he’s in charge? He will then lead you to a conference room and proceed to ask you 54 very invasive questions about your affairs that you are expected to answer on the spot. Are you prepared to answer those questions? Do you have any idea what those questions will be?
This is serious stuff. This is the time to remember that old adage, “What you say here can and will be used against you.” Talking to the IRS yourself is the WORST thing you can do.
Would You Go to Court Without a Lawyer? Then Why Would You Face the IRS Without Expert Help?
The IRS auditor then asks to see your records, and if you give him your credit card statements showing your office supply charges or other deductions, he will tell you, “This isn’t the right proof.” What does he mean, “It’s not the right proof”? He expects if you are representing yourself you should know the 70,000+ pages of regulations.
Here’s another scenario: what if you file your taxes and you get a notice in the mail that says, “We cannot process your income tax return because we already have one on file for you.”
That means that some fraudster stole your identity, mailed in a fake tax return in your name, and made off with a big fat refund check that was supposed to be yours. How in the world are you supposed to prove that you are you? Are you going to “wing it” by representing yourself and hope that the tax authorities side with you? More than 643,000 taxpayers had their tax data stolen in 2017 and 2018 with $6.2 billion fraudulently claimed. So, yes, it happens a lot more than you realize
The IRS has only one mission—to access and collect more money from you. The IRS has the power to garnish your wages and seize your bank accounts—something even the President of the United States cannot do
Even if the letter seems to be asking for something simple, you could damage your case without realizing it. We ask our clients to allow us to handle all of the contact with the tax authorities from start to finish, ensuring that the case is resolved as quickly and as early as possible.
Under law, only a CPA, an attorney, or an enrolled agent (a person that has been accredited by the IRS), besides yourself, can legally represent you before the IRS. That’s why having a seasoned Tax Professional such as Waterfront Tax & Accounting at your side is critical if the IRS comes knocking. Once we file a Power of Attorney form, the IRS must deal directly with us. We handle all communications and correspondence on your behalf and, if necessary, meet with the IRS revenue agent so you don’t have to.
Without an audit protection plan you’ll likely have to pay between $3,500 and $10,000 and up for a Licensed Tax Professional to defend you in an audit. Even a small income tax notice issue usually take $300 to $500 or more to help resolve.
With our audit protection plan you just call us up and tell us to “handle” any income tax notice or audit by calling and/or going to the IRS for you. You get to stay home. If the IRS sends you a notice, we’ll automatically file a “2848 Power of Attorney” on your behalf and will work with the IRS on the issue without any additional time investment or expense on your part.
For a small fee that’s added to your tax preparation invoice, we’ll shield and protect you from ever having to deal with the tax authorities by yourself in case you get a notice from the IRS or state tax authorities. And if you ever have to meet with an agent in person, we’ll attend the meeting on your behalf. You don’t even have to go.
We also offer the audit protection for individuals, Corporations, S Corporations, Partnerships, Trusts and Estates (Forms 1120, 1120S, 1065 and 1041). You can sleep better knowing you are protected from one of your biggest nightmares.
Working with IRS audit is one of our specialties. We handle all IRS notices, letters and represent you at both federal and state levels. We provide:
- Peace of mind - Sleep well knowing we have you covered
- Time Savings - Eliminate Hours required to translate IRS notifications and letters
- Negotiations - Better, lower cost resolutions than you could do on your own.
To see how we can help, schedule a consultation using our appointment booking system or call us at (877) 727-6577.