Business owners: When it comes to IRS audits, be prepared
This article organizes the original guidance on business owners: when it comes to irs audits, be prepared into clear sections for easier reading and reference.
Overview
This opening section presents the main context from the original post.
If you recently filed your 2016 income tax return (rather than filing for an extension) you may now be wondering whether it’s likely that your business could be audited by the IRS based on your filing. Here’s what every business owner should know about the process.
Catching the IRS’s eye
This section keeps the original guidance focused on catching the irs’s eye.
Many business audits occur randomly, but a variety of tax-return-related items are likely to raise red flags with the IRS and may lead to an audit. Here are a few examples:
- Significant inconsistencies between previous years’ filings and your most current filing,
- Gross profit margin or expenses markedly different from those of other businesses in your industry, and
- Miscalculated or unusually high deductions.
An owner-employee salary that’s inordinately higher or lower than those in similar companies in his or her location can also catch the IRS’s eye, especially if the business is structured as a corporation.
Response measures
This section keeps the original guidance focused on response measures.
If you are selected for an audit, you will be notified by letter. Generally, the IRS won’t make initial contact by phone. But if there is no response to the letter, the agency may follow up with a call.
The good news is that many audits simply request that you mail in documentation to support certain deductions you’ve taken. Others may ask you to take receipts and other documents to a local IRS office. Only the most severe version, the field audit, requires meeting with one or more IRS auditors.
More good news: In no instance will the agency demand an immediate response. You will be informed of the discrepancies in question and given time to prepare.
To do so, you will need to collect and organize all relevant income and expense records. If any records are missing, you will have to reconstruct the information as accurately as possible based on other documentation.
If the IRS selects you for an audit, our firm can help you:
- Understand what the IRS is disputing (it’s not always crystal clear),
- Gather the specific documents and information needed, and
- Respond to the auditor’s inquiries in the most expedient and effective manner.
Don’t let an IRS audit ruin your year—be it this year, next year, or whenever that letter shows up in the mail. By taking a meticulous, proactive approach to how you track, document, and file your company’s tax-related information, you will make an audit much less painful and even decrease the chances that one happens in the first place.
Related Resources
These resources connect the article topic with related Bowers service pages and approved professional reading.
FAQ
The questions below summarize the main points already covered in the article.
What is the main focus of Business owners: When it comes to IRS audits, be prepared?
The article focuses on business owners: when it comes to irs audits, be prepared and organizes the original guidance into sections for easier review.
What topics does the article cover first?
The article begins with catching the irs’s eye and then continues through the remaining points in the original post.
Which additional areas are included?
Additional sections include response measures.
Does the post include action items or reminders?
Yes. The original post includes listed items that have been kept in list format for easier scanning.
Was the original post wording changed?
The revision keeps the author wording and updates the structure so the post is easier to read online.