IRS audit help & defense
IRS Tax Audit Help & Audit Defense
If you received an IRS audit letter, do not panic and do not respond on your own. The first response sets the entire scope of the audit. IRS audit defense by a licensed tax representative keeps the audit narrow, prevents expansion to other years, and protects against the most expensive mistake: saying too much.
Overview
IRS audit help & defense: the essentials.
- Audit types
- Mail, office, field
- IRS looks back
- 3 years (6 if major)
- Do first
- Do not respond alone
- We attend
- In your place
An IRS audit is an examination of a taxpayer's financial records to verify a tax return. Its purpose is twofold: to confirm that income, deductions, and credits were reported correctly, and to ensure the right amount of tax was paid. The IRS conducts roughly half a million individual audits per year, spread across correspondence (by mail), office (at an IRS location), and field (at your home or business) formats.
The IRS can audit returns from the last three years. If a substantial understatement is identified, that window extends to six years. For unfiled returns or fraud, there is no statute. Being selected for audit does not imply guilt — many selections are statistical, based on the return's position relative to norms for similar filers.
How this case usually unfolds
Audit letter in hand · Audit defense
The first response to an audit letter sets its entire scope. The pattern that protects clients: pull the account transcripts, gather only the documentation the IRS asked for, review the return for positions that need support, and respond to exactly what was requested, without volunteering other years or topics.
Sound similar to yours?
No two cases are identical, but patterns repeat. Talk to one of our Enrolled Agents to find out which programs apply to your situation.
Get Free ConsultationWhy you were selected
Random selection and computer screening
A statistical formula compares your return against norms for similar returns. If yours sits at the edge of normal, it may be selected.
Related examination
If a partner, investor, or business associate is audited, your return may be pulled because of the shared transactions.
Document matching
If a 1099 or W-2 reported to the IRS does not match your return, the IRS will follow up. This is technically a CP2000 notice, not always an audit, but it is treated similarly.
The three types of IRS audit
Correspondence audit (by mail)
The least intensive. The IRS asks for specific documentation. The entire audit is handled by mail. About 75 percent of IRS audits are correspondence audits.
Office audit
You (or your representative) meet with an IRS auditor at a local IRS office. The auditor reviews records you bring.
Field audit
An IRS revenue agent visits your home, business, or representative's office. Field audits are the most thorough and typically reserved for complex returns.
How we prepare your case
Whether your audit is by mail or in person, we follow the same playbook: pull your account transcripts, gather the supporting documentation, review the return for any positions that need clarification, and respond only to what the IRS actually asked. We do not volunteer additional years or topics.
Federal programs
Nine IRS programs. We look through them all.
Most tax debt is resolved through one of these nine programs. Which one fits depends on your numbers, your filing history, and assessment dates.
Client reviews
What clients say about IRS audit help & defense.
5.0 on Google across 356+ verified reviews. A few relevant to IRS audit help & defense below; read them all on our reviews page.
I was worried at first. I'm not really computer savvy. Pablo Nunez has so much patience with me. Talked to me, clearly explained, and walked me through computer difficulties. I'm not worried, and my stress levels have never been lower. Thank you, everyone at Innovative Tax Relief.
Their. Very. Respectable. They. Solve. My. Issue. With. The. IRS On. How. To. Be. On. The. Rite. Track. With. The. IRS. Payments
Thank you to innovative tax relief for putting my tax problems behind me .. thanks to Peter for overseeing the process my case worker Lisa Liriano for reassuring me it’s all going to be fixed, and all the refiles from past years and just a mess you took over .. attorney Ryan for negotiations and protections from the IRS and saving me thousands of dollars .. you did exactly what you said you would do now I can breathe again ..Thank you Innovative Tax Relief
I used ITR for the first time this year. I didn’t know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised with how promptly and professionally they resolved my tax issues and straightened out my debts for the year. I would not hesitate to use them again and I’m grateful I found them!!
Victor my tax advisor was awesome with great communication and was able to cut me a great deal with the IRS.
Pretty simple process Friendly staff and efficient team to make things right w IRS issues
Frequently asked
What people ask about IRS audit help & defense.
Should I respond to the audit letter myself first?
How likely am I to be audited again?
How long does an audit take?
Can I appeal an audit result?
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Many cases start in one category and shift as we understand the numbers. Here are the services this one most often pairs with.
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Learn moreNationwide · all 50 states
IRS audit help & defense in all 50 states.
IRS representation is federal, so we handle IRS audit help & defense for clients in all 50 states, remotely from our West Palm Beach headquarters. Florida is our home base, and we keep dedicated local pages for the metros we serve most.
Florida local pages
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