An IRS tax audit letter can put the love of God into even the most experienced adult and/or a business owner. You may start to panic if you receive a letter or have the impulse to run from it. However, that’s not a wise strategy (especially when our tax lawyers in Baltimore and Silver Spring can handle it).
Keep your calm, call a tax litigation lawyer, and let them take you through what needs to be done in your specific case. However, if you’re feeling worried, here’s some basic information on what you can do.
Why is The IRS Auditing You?
The IRS may choose to audit you for any number of reasons — but it’s not always necessary that they’re doing it because they think you did something wrong. An audit is the IRS’s way of keeping an eye on individuals they believe could have made an error or business owners that are high-risk. Sometimes, this does mean that they suspect you of something.
However, if you’ve done nothing wrong, don’t panic. First, make sure you’re being audited. The IRS may be sending you a letter for a range of other reasons, which is why you should be clear on that first. If you are being audited, find out what kind of audit it is.
Types of Tax Audits
There are three types of audits: more severe and the last of which is pretty easy to get through.
- Field Audits: A field audit is one in which IRS investigators visit your business and home to investigate your assets and operations. They may conduct interviews and try to get a sense of your lifestyle to ascertain your net worth. This is serious and can feel very invasive.
- Office Audit: This is a step down from a field audit and involves IRS investigators going over your business paperwork with a fine-toothed comb to see if everything adds up. They may find something that leads them to open an investigation.
- Correspondence Audit: This audit is performed via documentation and correspondence, usually after someone is flagged via a computer. This is much less serious and can be considered procedural at times.
How a Tax Lawyer Can Help
Never call your accountant or CPA first. If something incriminating comes to light, they may be forced to testify against you. Instead, reach out to our IRS audit lawyer in Baltimore, Silver Spring, Towson, and Washington D.C. We can help you get your papers in order and take over correspondence with the IRS.
At The Lincoln Law Group, our lead attorney has experience in IRS procedures and tax controversies, which is why when you hire us, you know an experienced attorney is taking charge. Contact us for an appointment — we have immigration lawyers, divorce attorneys, and criminal defense attorneys on our team too.