What triggers an IRS audit? There are lots of red flags but Letter 2205 or Letter 3572 start an IRS field audit. (910) 399-2705.
Both IRS Letter 2205 and IRS Letter 3572 announce an IRS field audit. Different IRS divisions use different contact letters. And IRS audit CPA accountants see variations within each letter as well. Letter 2205 and Letter 3572 require you call the specific IRS auditor within ten days to schedule an appointment. Both letters generally list specific areas of IRS interest on your business or personal tax return. Additional information requests, like Form 4564 or Letter 866-A, usually accompany these contact letters. Here’s our post on Form 4564.
A Simpler IRS Audit
We have multiple postings on various aspects of IRS Correspondence audits and back tax issues. Here’s one of them, IRS Audits. In my experience, Correspondence Audits deal with mild to moderate discrepancies between your tax return and the information the IRS has on that tax return. The biggest problem with Correspondence Audits is getting an actual agent to work with, instead of dealing with endless computer generated notices and demands.
IRS Field Audit
But IRS Letter 2205 and IRS Letter 3572 are from a specific agent who’s already researched your return in preparation for the tax audit. This can work in your favor. The IRS expresses pride in their revenue collecting to cost ratio. So, the IRS expense of the auditor is indicative of serious they are. But the Agent has incentives to close the case and not incur additional IRS expense.
Phone Calls from the IRS to Schedule an Audit
Letter 2205 and Letter 3572 sometimes arrive after the IRS agent calls you! This is so unusual that some folks get suspicious, at which point the agent must terminate the call and send out an initial contact letter.
Should you Deal with Letter 2205 or Letter 3572 Yourself? Tips on IRS Field Audits
It depends. An IRS Field Audit is not a simple Correspondence Audit. The financial consequences of self-incrimination are higher. Per their own documentation, the IRS agent can call on multiple experts. And the agent is well-trained. It seems to me that a representative, like an IRS audit CPA, is prudent. But here are some tips.
- Try to avoid the agent coming to your home or business.
- Be careful not to open additional issues with the tax return already in question and/or, expand the audit to other returns.
- Read the pertinent IRS Audit Technique Guides. These are the manuals your Agent uses.
- Understand your own documentation.
- Understand the underlying taxation issues.
- Understand your rights for an IRS audit. For example, you can stop an IRS interview at any time to call a representative like a CPA accountant.
We’re a IRS Audit CPA Firm with a Virtual Office for National and International Clients.
We offer a free initial phone consult on Letter 2205 and Letter 3572. (910) 399-2705.
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