Open Your Tax Notices

By Stacie Kitts, CPA

Once upon a time, a long time ago, I knew a taxpayer who was afraid to open correspondence from the IRS and accumulated a pile of letters hoping it would all go away.  It didn’t and bad things happened.

If you receive correspondence, open it right away while there is still time to do something about it.

Most of the time correspondence from the IRS is no big deal – you forgot to report some investment income, or you made an estimated tax payment a little later than your were supposed to so you owe some interest.

Honestly, I can’t think of many things you should be worried about when the IRS comes a-callin unless…..

• You’re a crook and you know it
• You don’t have advisers or you don’t listen to them
• Someone was feeding you a line that was to good to be true.  Wesley Snipes is a good example of what not to believe.  Mr Snipes failed to file several years of tax returns based on the advice of shyster tax preparer and is now serving time in jail.

Getting a letter from the IRS informing you of an audit of your tax return can be distressing.  And let’s face it, even if you did everything hunky dory, it can be costly to have someone represent you.

There are things you can do ahead of time to help mitigate the cost of an audit should you win that lottery.

• Choose the right tax preparer.  Do your research and make sure they are qualified to help you
• Have your accountant look over your accounting records before the end of each tax year.
• If you have a business, make sure you give details of your accounting transactions to your preparer. (full general ledger detail)
• Do some tax planning with your tax professional
• Keep records of your income and deductions organized and easy to find
• During the audit process – provide your representative the requested information timely and as organized as possible.  Messy records are not going to help you and will likely drive up the cost of the audit.

The IRS published the following points they think you should know if you receive a notice.

1. Don’t panic. Many of these letters can be dealt with simply and painlessly.
2. There are number of reasons the IRS sends notices to taxpayers. The notice may request payment of taxes, notify you of a change to your account or request additional information. The notice you receive normally covers a very specific issue about your account or tax return.
3. Each letter and notice offers specific instructions on what you need to do to satisfy the inquiry.
4. If you receive a correction notice, you should review the correspondence and compare it with the information on your return.
5. If you agree with the correction to your account, usually no reply is necessary unless a payment is due.
6. If you do not agree with the correction the IRS made, it is important that you respond as requested. Write to explain why you disagree. Include any documents and information you wish the IRS to consider, along with the bottom tear-off portion of the notice. Mail the information to the IRS address shown in the lower left part of the notice. Allow at least 30 days for a response.
7. Most correspondence can be handled without calling or visiting an IRS office. However, if you have questions, call the telephone number in the upper right corner of the notice. Have a copy of your tax return and the correspondence available when you call.
8. It’s important that you keep copies of any correspondence with your records.