Bowling Green IRS Audit Attorney

Regardless of where your business finances are, receiving an audit notice can be stressful. When dealing with an audit, you and your business want qualified professionals at your side who are well versed in tax laws. You could highly benefit from the legal and tax code experience of an expert tax debt or tax audit attorney.

An audit from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) can be frightening, whether you’re a business or an individual. It can worry you no matter how long you’ve been filing taxes. The biggest thing to understand when facing an audit is that the result relies a lot on how you’re represented to the IRS. A professional tax lawyer has spent years in school to have the expertise necessary to represent you and your business to a court and to the IRS, and it’s in your best interest to have an attorney to back you. They can present the information at hand in a positive and beneficial light.

Many people believe that accountants can help with an audit, but this isn’t always the case. Many CPAs become tax lawyers after gaining more legal experience. That legal experience and knowledge are what separates the two. Though the work of a tax lawyer and your CPA have some similar areas, the legal matters of an IRS audit require a legal defense. Though an accountant understands the tax code, they likely have less experience with legal matters necessary for an audit.

In a serious situation like this, you need a Bowling Green tax attorney in your corner with tax audit defense experience. The attorneys and CPAs at Mockensturm, Ltd. want to represent and defend you during tax audits. We can help minimize the impact an audit has on you or your business.

What Is A Tax Audit?

Tax audits are scary and stressful if you understand them, and they can be even more so if you don’t understand what you’re facing. If you are uncertain about what you are dealing with, it’s helpful to know how they work. A tax audit is essentially a reexamination of a federal tax return with the intention of verifying how correct it is. During an audit, the IRS is allowed to examine tax returns, records, papers, or other data to verify the accuracy of your tax return. That’s why accurate and substantial records are necessary and required.

The three types of audits are mail audits, office audits, and field audits, and they have varying levels of severity:

1. Mail audits are generally simple and don’t require in-person meetings. It will be a letter that informs you of the audit and requests additional information.
2. Office audits are more involved, and they are in-person. A local auditor will ask questions about the information provided on your tax return. You have the right to ask for an attorney to represent you and your case.
3. Field audits involve an IRS auditor and usually occur if there is more than one potential inaccuracy in your tax returns. The auditor will come to your home or business to look into this.

If you are meeting in person with an IRS auditor, having a tax audit defense can be important to your future. A tax audit attorney can fight for fair tax resolution for you or your business with full knowledge of the legal tax code.

What Does A Tax Audit Attorney Do?

The biggest benefit to a tax audit attorney is their expertise at the intersection between tax and law. Often, a tax audit lawyer has many years of experience in both accounting and law. It’s important for an audit defense lawyer to have a balanced education and professional life in advanced accounting and the tax code. While it’s important to discuss matters with your accountant before filing tax returns, an audit is better handled by a tax audit attorney.

By hiring an expert tax debt attorney, you have someone on your side who can help you prepare for the audit and negotiate on your behalf with full knowledge and understanding of the tax code. A tax defense lawyer can explain the proceedings of an audit as they happen and defend you in case of litigation.

Because an attorney is well versed in tax law, they can detect when an IRS auditor is searching for criminal intent in your tax return and know if an audit could be unfavorable for you or your business. An audit is essentially an interpretation, so a tax lawyer can protect your best interests and show your actions in the best light. They can protect your assets and your wishes during an audit and defend your case.

Do You Need A Lawyer To Negotiate With The IRS?

Tax lawyers deal with the convergence between accounting and the law. Whether you need help against the IRS in court or in correspondence, a tax audit attorney can help you deal with the interactions between accounting, tax returns, and legal defense.

If your audit doesn’t go well or is interpreted unfavorably, you could find yourself facing penalties, interest, back taxes, and possibly even criminal charges. The outcomes could quite literally affect the rest of your life. This is why it’s necessary to have someone on your side to present a more favorable interpretation of your case and ensure the case and you are treated fairly under the law. A tax audit lawyer is more equipped to notice any misrepresentation by an auditor and advise you on the information you are required to provide, protecting your best interests. They could help lower your tax liability by defending your case and your rights, which can help you find some semblance of tax relief.

However, tax liability isn’t the only thing to worry about during an audit. An auditor could determine evidence of tax fraud, and you could be facing much more serious issues. An expert tax fraud defense attorney can defend you before that point arrives, and they could negotiate before your case reaches court. Your rights and freedom need to have a knowledgeable professional in your corner when negotiating with the IRS during an audit.

Why Do People Hire Lawyers When Dealing With The IRS?

Unfortunately, auditors are not on your side. It is their job to collect taxes, and they may include additional penalties if they can. This is why it is incredibly important to have an attorney on your side during audit meetings and proceedings. If you enter a meeting with an auditor by yourself, you have entered at a serious disadvantage, and an auditor has the skills necessary to search for information that could create serious issues for you. It’s their job to find what will cost you money and benefit the interests of the IRS — they are not looking out for your interests. This is where a defense attorney is necessary.

Understand The Ins And Outs Of Tax Law

It’s helpful to have someone who understands the ins and outs of tax law fighting your case, who understands the terms of audits and what’s at stake for you or your business. Tax attorneys are hired for multiple dealings with the IRS, such as dealing with back taxes, settlements, or payment plans. In these cases, an attorney is better to hire than a CPA. Although a CPA can help you with a large amount of tax information and federal tax returns, they’re not equipped with the legal knowledge to defend your case during an in-person audit.

When dealing with an audit, the stress of an auditor looking through your papers and records can be a lot, but having a tax lawyer as a go-between can help. They will ensure you have all the proper records available, help you submit them, and assist you with any questions. Your tax audit lawyer can also help by answering questions on your behalf and preparing to defend you in case the situation becomes more serious.

Assist If You Are Behind On Tax Returns

Hiring an attorney for dealings with the IRS is also necessary if you’re behind on your tax returns. Whatever the reason for the delay, it’s important to contact a tax lawyer as you deal with the matter at hand. In such a serious situation, a tax lawyer can assist you in working directly with the IRS to get your tax returns filed and processed. Knowing that you have unpaid taxes can make dealings with the IRS more stressful, but an experienced attorney can work on your behalf. They can help search for a beneficial payment plan and handle communications with the IRS, so you don’t have to.

Help With Managing Wage Garnishment Or Liens

An attorney is also needed if you’re trying to manage IRS wage garnishments or tax liens filed against your property. This is usually the result of ignored IRS notices for back taxes owed, and it is the IRS’s next attempt in collecting. The step beyond that includes filing criminal charges against you if enough money is owed in back taxes that aren’t being paid. Whichever problem you are facing, you need a qualified tax attorney. In such a serious and stressful situation, it can be beneficial for your emotional health to have someone else handle correspondence with the IRS, and it can be helpful for your case as well. That way, someone who understands the legal code and your situation very well can negotiate on your behalf. A tax lawyer in this situation can find an arrangement that could stop the tax liens, wage garnishments, or even avoid the criminal charges. By listening to the legal advice of your attorney and following the agreement you all set forth, a solution can be reached that works for everyone.

A tax attorney can help with matters outside of the IRS as well, such as helping you set up a new business and helping set up a trust or estate. It is incredibly important to hire a tax audit attorney when faced with IRS auditors so that someone is defending and representing your case early on.

Can A Lawyer Report You To The IRS?

Attorney-client privilege protects clients from a lot, but the IRS is allowed slightly more authority. However, the IRS cannot get information that reveals privileged attorney-client information, such as names, contact information, and identifying information. Attorneys can be compelled to disclose information to determine tax liability, but the idea is that through these specific guidelines, privileged information is not revealed.

How Many Lawyers Work For The IRS?

The IRS employs a great number of lawyers. About 1,500 attorneys work for the IRS, and they are the largest tax firm in the country. Generally, the positions are filled by experienced lawyers who represent the IRS and the people. It’s important to understand, however, that they are hired by the IRS, and it’s in your best interests to hire a Bowling Green IRS lawyer who will protect your rights and best interests above all else.

Bowling Green, Ohio Tax Debt Attorneys Can Protect Your Rights

When you’re facing the frightening situation of an IRS audit, you want to be sure you’re prepared. This starts with getting your records and documents of all your transactions in order. In the absence of complete records, you need evidence of the items under audit. The sooner you pull together your records and cooperate with the IRS, the less likely misunderstandings are to happen.

You should also be proactive in contacting a tax audit defense lawyer. The outcome of an audit will likely be you owing back taxes. Allow our team to help limit the damage caused by this audit for both you and your business. The more control our lawyers have over the process, the more we can advocate for you and your rights. Allow Mockensturm, Ltd. to assist you and fight for your freedom and interests during an audit. If, after an audit, you plan to appeal against an unreasonable decision, our firm can also help you through that process. Contact us today to get prompt action and assistance with your audit.