There is a very low chance that you will ever be audited by the IRS. However, if you filed your taxes already and something was flagged in the system, you may be audited unless an IRS agent can sort it out. If you are audited, you will receive an official letter in the mail notifying you of that fact. (No other forms of communication are used when the IRS audits someone; that is how you can tell a real audit notice from scams.) If you are going to be audited, here is what you do next.

Alert the Tax Preparation Service or Accountant of the Impending Audit

The person who prepared your taxes for you needs to know that the IRS is going to go over the work they did for you with a fine-toothed comb. The agent or accountant will want to be present when this happens so that he or she can find out what red flag caused the audit. You will also need your tax preparer to generate all of your documents to get ready for the meeting. 

Get All of Your Documents in a Row

The tax preparer needs to print off all of your tax forms. Every last sheet, every last statement, and every last form that was filed with your taxes has to have a hard copy. All of your W2s must also accompany the file of documents you will need to present to the IRS agent. 

Hire and Bring an Enrolled Agent with You to the Audit Meeting

If you hired an accountant or tax preparer who is an enrolled agent, then you can skip the part where you hire the enrolled agent and just bring the person who prepared your taxes with you. An enrolled agent is a tax prep professional who is certified to represent you at an audit meeting and present the facts of your taxes and tax filing. It is akin to hiring a lawyer except that an audit is not a legal process, and the enrolled agent is not a lawyer. However, the agent is fully qualified to help you walk through the entire audit and provide support throughout the meeting. 

Set the Meeting Time, Date, and Place, and Do Not Be Late!

Working with your tax preparer and/or your enrolled agent, set a date, time, and place for the IRS agent to meet with you and resolve this matter. Do not be late as the IRS agent has other meetings throughout the day and needs to resolve your case as soon as possible. It will also make you less anxious to be on time and resolve the issue right then. 

For more information about dealing with an IRS audit, contact Mitchell Tax Advocacy, LLC.