LET’S discuss 10 strategies as you meet face-to-face with the Appeals Officer: 1. Learn how the appeals process works. Learn how to gather, research, file, and prepare adequately. Get a…

AFTER losing an IRS audit, you can either pay or fight. If you choose peace and quiet—pay. If you choose to fight—go to appeals. Here are 10 tips on how…

AFTER an audit of your tax returns by the IRS, pay if you are happy with the results or don’t want to extend the agony of dealing with the IRS….

IF you are not satisfied with the results of your IRS audit, go to Appeals. You have a choice of either ending your misery by paying up or by continuing…

YOU’LL be happy to note that the IRS also gets audited. It’s audited by the Treasury Department to determine whether tax compliance officers conduct required filing checks in accordance with…

WHILE my audit tips usually focus on how you—the taxpayer—should conduct yourself, let’s look at how IRS agents are trained to conduct themselves when they interview you. Let’s change roles…

MUST you attend your own IRS audit? You don’t have to. This is always a tactical question that should be discussed at the early stage of an audit. I have…

FIELD audits are more challenging than office audits. They are conducted at your place of business. Audits are performed by Revenue Agents who have many years of experience. They may…

NEITHER one, actually. You see, IRS conducts field audits where the books and records of a business are maintained. This, of course, is your office, home, warehouse, factory, or store….

There are three basic types of IRS audits: correspondence, office, and field examinations. A. Correspondence audits are generally used for specific questions that can easily be verified. B. Office audits…

THERE are three basic types of IRS audits: correspondence, office, and field examinations. Let’s discuss correspondence audits. 1. Do not be afraid to open mails from the IRS. If you…

1. DON’T volunteer information. A typical agent is a low-key, friendly agent. They get your guard down by playing a nice guy role. Don’t be deceived by it. Remember that…

“ Avoid low gross receipts and few but unusually high expenses.” 1. DO not hide interest and dividend income from the IRS, even if your spouse may not be aware…

BE conservative with deductions if you want to avoid audits. Be aggressive and you increase your risk of IRS scrutiny. Play the odds and you invite an audit. The question…

“ Trump’s plan will help more low-income workers to avoid taxes, not to pay income taxes.” ACCORDING to the Tax Foundation’s Taxes and Growth Model, the Trump tax plan would…

A MAJOR thrust of the Trump Tax Plan is to bring back jobs to America. Large multi-nationals left and set up operations in foreign countries to avoid our corporate tax…

HERE are proposed tax changes that could affect individuals like you and me. Individual Tax Rates: President Trump plans to simplify the tax code by condensing the current seven rates…

Estate Tax: AMERICANS pay taxes throughout their lives, then pay again after death. This is wrong. The death tax itself should be terminated. Yes, there are two things we can’t…

ARE you a U.S. citizen or resident working in a foreign country? Did you declare your foreign income? Did you even file a tax return? Or are you hiding from…

HERE are 10 tips to pull you through an audit: 1. Bring the right attitude with you.  It could spell the difference between winning and losing. 2. Be on time….

THERE are two approaches to prepare for an audit: organized and shoebox. Organized means arranging your records. Shoebox means simply being you—your naturally disorganized you. Let’s discuss each method so…

(Part 3 of 3) 11. Your case is referred to an Automated Collection System (ACS). The ACS is a nameless, faceless computerized collection system that utilizes telephones. IRS personnel at…

(Part 2 of 3) 6. YOU first receive a contact letter advising you that your return has been selected for examination. It spells out the preliminary areas for audit. You…

(Part 1 of 3) WHILE audit penetration has, decreased, the quality of audits has improved. Auditors undergo specialization training. They conduct economic reality audits that involve looking at issues beyond…

THIS is the second of three articles on how the IRS selects tax returns for audit. Our first article discussed how tax returns are received, verified, and reviewed. This article…

DID you ever wonder how the IRS selects tax returns to be audited? Here’s a three-part series on how tax returns are received, stored, and chosen for audit: • How…

REPUBLICAN president-elect Donald Trump unveiled a new framework for his revised tax plan. Basically, his plan simplifies the tax code – reduce tax rates, simplify provisions, and reform business taxation….

1. TAX Day is April 18, 2017: While we are accustomed to a filing tax deadline of April 15, this day falls on a Saturday so the deadline is moved…

“ Workers in ‘substantially similar’ jobs but of different races or ethnicity will need to be paid equal wages.” (Part 2 of 2) TEXTING While Driving: Texting is already forbidden,…

WHILE my columns usually focus on the serious subject of IRS audits, let’s end this year with more somber versions of Murphy’s Law: Law of IRS Audits If you are…