Our Former IRS Agents & Tax Audit Attorneys Represent Individual and Corporate Taxpayers During IRS Audits
IRS Audit Attorney & CPA
Former Special Agent (FBI & IRS-CI)
Former Special Agent IRS – Criminal Division
When the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is auditing your individual or corporate tax returns, you need a representative who can communicate effectively with revenue agents on your behalf. You need a representative who understands all of the intricacies and nuances of the federal tax code—and who can use this understanding to help you or your company avoid unnecessary liability.
At Corporate Investigation Consulting, our IRS audit defense team is comprised entirely of former federal agents. This includes former Special Agents with IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS CI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and other federal agencies. As a result, not only do we have a comprehensive understanding of taxpayers’ federal duties, but we are also intimately familiar with the issues, oversights, and mistakes that can cause inquiries to transition from IRS audits to criminal tax fraud investigations.
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Our IRS Audit Defense Services
Our former federal agents advise and represent taxpayers throughout the IRS audit process. Whether you are facing a correspondence audit, office audit, or field audit, we can help ensure that you have a clear understanding of your (or your company’s) risks, and we can help you efficiently target a favorable resolution.
We are not a law firm, and we do not provide legal representation for IRS audits. Instead, we rely on our experience on both sides of IRS audits to communicate with revenue agents on behalf of targeted taxpayers and help them make informed and strategic decisions during the audit process. In many cases, we work with taxpayers’ legal teams to help them devise and execute effective defense strategies.
Here are some examples of the services we provide for individual and corporate taxpayers during IRS audits:
Assessment of Tax Liability
Any time you are dealing with the IRS, it is important to make an independent assessment of your (or your company’s) tax liability. While most revenue agents are very good at what they do, they do make mistakes, and they are often forced to rely on incomplete information.
Our former agents will thoroughly assess your (or your company’s) tax liability in order to identify any concerns that are likely to arise during the IRS’s audit. We will review all tax returns that are subject to the audit as well as all supporting documentation. Based on this review, we will advise you of potential risks during the audit process (if any); and, if necessary, we will begin working to develop defenses to liability for back taxes, interest, and penalties. We are able to assist with all federal tax matters, including (but not limited to):
- Individual and corporate income tax liability
- Estate and gift tax liability
- Employment tax liability (including trust fund recovery penalties)
- Employee Retention Credit (ERC) claims
- Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness claims
- Allegations of use of abusive tax shelters
- Allegations of fraudulent charitable contributions
- Allegations of fraudulent business deductions
- Cryptocurrency-related tax liability
- Offshore bank account and foreign financial asset reporting
All of these present potential areas of concern for taxpayers, and the IRS has shown a willingness to aggressively enforce taxpayers’ reporting and payment obligations in recent years. As a result, an informed defense strategy is critical, and this starts with knowing what (if anything) revenue agents are likely to uncover.
Correspondence with Revenue Agents
Throughout the IRS audit process, we can communicate with revenue agents on your behalf. We are well-versed in the IRS’s audit procedures, and we have a pretty good idea of what is coming and when. In many cases, we are able to address potential concerns proactively—streamlining the audit process, reducing revenue agents’ workloads, and facilitating efficient and favorable outcomes for our clients.
Communicating with revenue agents is where many taxpayers (and taxpayers’ representatives) get themselves into trouble. While they think they are saying the right thing, in reality they are raising more questions than they are resolving. As a result, their audits grow in scope, and their risk increases significantly.
We rely on our experience to communicate effectively with revenue agents during our clients’ audits. We know what to say, what not to say, and what to expect in response from the IRS. Effective communication is critical, and we rely on our extensive experience to strategically and professionally represent our clients through all stages of the audit process.
Identification of Applicable Credits, Exemptions, and Exclusions
While IRS audits generally focus on uncovering underreporting and underpayments, in many cases targeted taxpayers will have failed to claim available credits, exemptions, and exclusions as well. In addition to defending against additional tax liability, we also leverage any available opportunities to reduce our clients’ tax burdens. It is not unusual for an IRS audit to result in a refund to the taxpayer; and, when necessary, we work with the IRS to offset our clients’ underreported tax liability against their unclaimed credits and deductions.
Identification of Flaws and Overreaching During the Audit Process
When we represent clients during IRS audits, we scrutinize the auditing agents’ activities to identify flaws that require correction and ensure that they do not overreach when requesting records or information from our clients. Taxpayers are not necessarily required to provide all of the information revenue agents request, and failing to appropriately deny requests can expand the scope of an audit unnecessarily. We routinely work with revenue agents to correct flawed assumptions, flawed calculations, and incorrect applications of the federal tax code, and we step in to protect our clients from overreaching when necessary.
Assistance with Resolving Federal Tax Controversies
When our clients are at risk of liability for back taxes, interest, and penalties, we use our experience to help them favorably resolve their tax controversies with the IRS. We negotiate tax settlements and offers in compromise, prevent audits from triggering tax fraud investigations, and protect our clients through a variety of other means. Regardless of the circumstances at hand, a proactive approach will afford the greatest opportunity to achieve a favorable result; so, if you or your company is facing an IRS audit, we encourage you to speak with one of our former agents as soon as possible.
Put our highly experienced team on your side
Roger Bach
Former Special Agent (OIG)
Timothy E. Allen
Former Senior Special Agent U.S. Secret Service
Chris J. Quick
Former Special Agent (FBI & IRS-CI)
Maura Kelley
Former Special Agent (FBI)
Ray Yuen
Former Supervisory Special Agent (FBI)
Michael S. Koslow
Former Supervisory Special Agent (DOD-OIG)
Marquis D. Pickett
Special Agent U.S. Secret Service (ret.)
FAQs: Defending Against an IRS Audit
Why is the IRS auditing me or my business?
There are various reasons why you or your business may be facing an IRS audit. The IRS conducts some audits at random, and there may not be a specific reason why you or your business is facing scrutiny. However, red flags in taxpayers’ returns can trigger audits as well, and the IRS also prioritizes enforcement in certain areas (i.e., small business, high-income taxpayer, and cryptocurrency tax compliance). When we represent you or your business during the audit process, we can determine why the audit is underway and use this information to help you make informed decisions about your defense strategy.
What are the differences between correspondence audits, office audits, and field audits?
Correspondence audits are conducted by mail. If you are facing an office audit, you (or a representative of your business) will be required to visit an IRS office in person. If you are facing a field audit, you can expect revenue agents to come to your home or place of business to review your financial records and other pertinent documentation.
What are the potential outcomes of an IRS audit?
IRS audits can have a variety of potential outcomes. In the best-case scenario, it will be possible to resolve an IRS audit without additional liability (and potentially even with a refund). However, IRS audits can also lead to liability for back taxes, interest, and penalties; and, if revenue agents have reason to suspect that you may have intentionally underreported or underpaid your federal tax liability, your audit could trigger a criminal tax fraud investigation.
Can I engage a consulting firm to deal with the IRS during an audit?
Yes, you can engage a consulting firm to deal with the IRS during an audit, and doing so makes sense for several reasons. Not only is it more efficient to have experienced professionals communicating with revenue agents on your behalf; but, by relying on their representation, you can also avoid saying things you shouldn’t. An experienced consulting firm should also be able to help ensure that the negative consequences of the audit (if any) are no greater than necessary.
What will happen if I ignore an IRS audit?
Ignoring an IRS audit is not a good idea. The audit will move forward without your involvement; and, if they need to, revenue agents will use all available legal means to collect the information they need. It is far better to take a proactive approach focused on resolving the audit as quickly and favorably as possible.
Contact Us for More Information About Our IRS Audit Defense Representation
If you would like to know more about how we help individual and corporate taxpayers during IRS audits, we invite you to get in touch. To speak with a former federal agent at Corporate Investigation Consulting in confidence, please call 866-352-9324 or request a complimentary consultation online today.