Facing the Dreaded Audit By The IRS

The Dreaded IRS Audit - What Actions You Should Take

The IRS has targeted you and your company for a comprehensive audit. 

You've done everything  humanly possible to avoid it, but  your worst fears have been realized. Before you  fling  yourself headlong into panic mode and start checking out real estate in Tahiti, relax. An audit  isn't necessarily the end of the world, especially if you know what to do  in preparation for one.

Great – I am Being Audited – Now What?

An audit can be particularly stressful for  both employer and employees alike.  While the business  owner worries about potentially  being fined, paying exorbitant fees or worse, going to jail, dependent  workers wonder if they could lose their primary source of income should the business go under.
With so much at stake, corporation undergoing a tax audit will need to ensure they have everything on hand to make the process go as smooth as possible.

Gather all pertinent file, records  and documents –this is  the most important aspect of preparedness that cannot be stressed enough. The inability to a locate or present documents  can provide IRS agents with enough fodder to fine   you or claim criminal intent on your part.   Indeed, companies that are able to provide relevant records and books are least likely to face serious consequence after an exhaustive audit.

Do Your Home work – A little research can go a long way in not only helping you feel more secure, but in educating you on what you will need throughout the IRS auditing process. One thing that may surprise you is that the IRS aren't the big evil boogeymen they are made out to be, in fact, they   will and often do consider the fact that employees are prone to human error.  At the end of the day, only a small handful of audits result in serious  citations, fines or arrests.    With that in mind, remember that  they will and often will pursue anything they think to be grossly out to of proportion with the facts presented.

Take a Deep Breathe and – Relax! – The last thing you want to do is raise suspicions that  you have something to hide by acting overly worried. That is not to say pretend everything is A-Okay—just don't get super worked up. Stressing over the matter won't help things anyway, as the best way to ensure you  are going to “beat the system”   is to  do everything in your power  to legally increase the odds of a positive outcome. Seeking the advice of  a well respected accounting firm like GBC Tax Services of Atlanta is one way to  do this.  By outsourcing, you can  go over what needs to be done prior to the IRS agency visit. You  will also be better equipped to ferret out potential problem and solutions before the big day arrives.  In any case, it is always wise to go with  proven experts in the field of accounting  so you know you  you'll be ready when the Tax man comes a-calling.

Once you’ve decided on an expert CPA,  you can have them represent you or be a  part of the process alongside you. In either case, it makes more sense to have a proven and trusted CPA at your side who will help you protect everything you're carefully built. They can also  help you  if you don't like the IRS determination, by taking your case to  tax court on appeal.

But no matter the outcome, it literally pays to do your homework.  Avoid  common business  pitfalls that  lead to  a  negative result after Internal Revenue evaluation by being  proactive on your own behalf. It is the only way to win at life as well as beat tax audits.

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READ MORE

• About GBC Services
• GBC Audit Services Website
• Visit the Internal Revenue Service's Website
• GBC Tax Income Atlanta Office
• Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA)
  American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
  GBC Services LLC, Tax Accounting Services for Atlanta GA
  GBC Press Release : MORE

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READ MORE GBC Tax Services Website
For All Your Accounting Needs Call GBC 678-366-9232

What Home Businesses Need to Know About Auditing

Learn What You Can Do To Beat An IRS Audit

The factors that contribute to home business complications primarily concern keeping adequate, substantial records that indicate the influx of money alongside reasonable deductions that won't get you flagged for an audit.

Operating a  small business  can be  productive and exhilarating, but such proprietors  face a bevy of  issues that are unique to  “mom and pop” establishments. Add to this the fact that the company is operating from your home and things get even trickier. 

For instance, writing off  an off-site office as a business expense is a no brainer, as  one can establish the need to pay rent,  electricity, water and any other related  employee housing disbursement.  When it comes to  a home office however, you have to detail, with all due precision, the increments in which one uses things such as  supplies, water, lights,  and even the internet for business related purposes.  Some  may calculate erroneously and in  some cases fraudulently,  so more often than not, writing such things off can and/or  may  lead to an IRS audit.

How Would a Home Business Get Pinged for Audit?

The IRS considers and evaluates a home business  as it would any other,  while being aware of the limitations of such companies.  In other words, the criteria may remain the same but not the methodology  to factor in potential abuses or mistakes in reporting.

DIF Scoring  Rings Audit Bells   –  if there are enough red flags on your tax return, you could trigger what is known as a DIF  (Discriminatory Index Function) flag.  The DIF is a mathematical measurement that weighs  the possibility of audit based on certain income tax filing characteristics. In other words, if too much is out of whack on the form, it will trigger a high enough DIF to provoke an investigation.  This process is utilizes for all types of businesses, but can be problematic for home businesses, where certain nuances, like business expenses and home office space calculations, can be hard to assess properly.  With this being the case, even a mindful home business owner can  land themselves in IRS hot water.

Regular and Exclusive – Another issue, as discussed previously, is duly calculating the home office space, its requirements and  uses.  Getting this precisely right is important, as the IRS determines home office use in its tax audit assessments.  The evaluation  examines how  “regular” and “exclusive” office use is in relation to  home versus business life.  In order for a home office to  establish “office/ work viability” the IRS has to look at how regularly the room is used for business and how exclusively it is used for said business purposes.  For this reason, there are things one can indicate on  one's tax form that could give an agent the notion to investigate the in home set up. This would involve  making sure the small business owner  observed governmental and tax guidelines, like dedicating the space for work alone e.g. no watching Netflix and  having movie nights in the home office.

Examination of 1099 and W2's – a simple yet effective way that IRS agents can assess probable issues is by comparing  1099's or  w2's to the tax documents  themselves. This easy method of matching will tell an agent right away if there are any pertinent discrepancies in income reporting.

Beat the audit by looking for deductions – If you find yourself in the cross hairs of an IRS audit, it may very well pay to look for deductions wherever you can.  Many home business owners do  not now  for instance that they can write off things like utilities  and even business related phones calls.  If you have  relevant records on hand, they may be  able to be used to offset any taxes the IRS may calculate against you.

Locate  a Reputable  CPA – strong credentials  matter, so if your small home business is facing IRS scrutiny, contact a company like GBC Income Tax Service of Atlanta  and learn what you can do to beat the odds and increase your chances of a positive outcome.

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READ MORE

• About GBC Services
• GBC Audit Services Website
• Visit the Internal Revenue Service's Website
• GBC Tax Income Atlanta Office
• Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA)
  American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
  GBC Services LLC, Tax Accounting Services for Atlanta GA
  GBC Press Release : MORE

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READ MORE : Jackson Hewitt Tax Calculator

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GBC Tax Services Website
For All Your Accounting Needs Call GBC 678-366-9232
-------------------------------------------------
READ MORE

• About GBC Services
• GBC Audit Services Website
• Visit the Internal Revenue Service's Website
• GBC Tax Income Atlanta Office
• Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA)
  American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
  GBC Services LLC, Tax Accounting Services for Atlanta GA
  GBC Press Release : MORE