Small business owners are targets for a record year of increasing IRS tax audits. If you are an Atlanta small business owner, you probably have an accountant and an attorney on speed dial. But if you don’t have an Atlanta tax attorney who specializes in business taxes, you could get eaten alive by the IRS.

Are you filing as the right business entity?

I see it happen every year: a small business owner with LLC status files business taxes as an S-corporation. To file as an S-corporation, a business owner must first elect to be taxed as an S-corporation, and some accountants and attorneys can overlook this tax law detail. If you don’t file this election, you will inadvertently set yourself up for IRS tax problems like back taxes. As a last attempt at tax relief, your tax attorney might work with the IRS to recognize S-corporation status retroactively.

Whether you are facing IRS collection efforts of business back taxes, or you’re questioning whether you’ve filed income taxes correctly, an experienced tax attorney and CPA can help you by:

• Filing or reviewing your state and IRS income taxes correctly
• Interfacing with the IRS collection agents, auditors, or IRS attorneys so you don’t have to
• Taking control of an IRS collection effort or IRS tax audit and guiding you through the process efficiently
• Explaining the options and opportunities you have for business tax relief – that you might not be aware of or capable of pursuing without tax representation

Small business owners need tax law specialists

Your small business is your entire financial foundation. Dealing with back taxes, IRS collection efforts, or an IRS audit without a tax attorney may be like trying to ride out a hurricane without shelter. Learn more about what to expect during an IRS tax audit in my post on How to Survive an IRS Tax Audit.

Accountants are specialists who work hard to bring order to your finances and present your business bottom line. But if your accountant is your only source of tax information, hire a tax attorney for tax law expertise and to negotiate on your behalf with the IRS. It’s your job to focus on your business, and a tax attorney and CPA will handle business tax returns or IRS audits the right way to minimize impact to your operations.

An Atlanta tax attorney can provide tax help to small business owners to meet IRS deadlines, make sure you don’t miss opportunities for a tax appeal, and to try to waive penalties or decrease the amount of penalties and interest that could break the bank.

With combined expertise as an Atlanta tax attorney and CPA, Jeffrey S. Gartzman offers Atlanta small business clients the legal counsel and sound financial advice they need to survive IRS tax problems. If you need small business tax help, contact the Gartzman Law Firm today at (770) 939-7710.

You got the audit notice from the IRS. What now? You can survive an IRS tax audit with tax help from an experienced tax attorney. Take action by hiring a tax attorney to organize the process and tell you exactly what documentation, tax records, and other data are needed.

Here’s how your Atlanta tax attorney will support you during the IRS tax audit process:

• Make a clear assessment of what the IRS is looking for in your audit
• Help you get your financial and tax records organized
• Advocate on your behalf with the IRS to minimize any damage in the audit
• Ensure your rights as a taxpayer

What to expect during an IRS tax audit

If you’re being audited, follow these 3 simple steps: Stay calm, get a tax attorney on your side, and gather the right documentation.

When you meet with your tax lawyer, present your tax audit letter from the IRS and tax return documents from the audited year. Be aware than an IRS audit could turn into tax problems down the road. The IRS will often look at your tax returns from the year prior and year after.

Based on your letter and tax records, your Atlanta tax attorney will tell you which documents to gather for audit preparation. Your tax attorney will explain how to get documents organized and what kinds of additional information the IRS is looking for – such as who prepared your tax returns, how your expenses were paid, what cash was received, and other personal data.

How an Atlanta tax attorney helps you

The advantage of working with a tax attorney is that you may never have to interact with the IRS. Once the audit documentation is prepared, your tax attorney meets with the IRS. The time it takes for these meetings can mean entire lost days from work, family, or business – without a tax attorney.

Attorney-client privilege is another significant benefit of hiring a tax attorney for IRS tax problems. If an IRS tax audit turns into something more serious, like a tax fraud investigation, your tax attorney can protect your rights and legally maintain confidentiality.

After your audit case is reviewed the IRS will submit a report with their tax audit findings, and notify you of a refund or liability. Further negotiations may be needed, and your tax attorney can help with additional legal action – such as an IRS appeal.

Work toward a favorable IRS audit outcome by getting an experienced tax attorney and CPA on your side. They will apply best practices to expertly guide you through the tax audit process from start to finish and intervene on your behalf with the IRS.

Get prepared and take the surprise out of an IRS tax audit

Don’t wait around for an inconvenient and disruptive IRS tax audit. Get an IRS Audit Exposure Review to determine your chances of surviving an IRS audit, and then thoroughly lay a course of action for preparation. Studies show that individuals and businesses that perform an IRS Audit Exposure Review on an annual basis are much more likely to navigate an IRS income tax audit in their favor. Your tax attorney will know what kind of financial and business events, expenses, and deductions are known audit-triggers, and we will help prepare you to avoid or prevail over an IRS tax audit.

Atlanta tax attorney and CPA Jeffrey S. Gartzman has provided tax help to hundreds of clients facing an IRS tax audit. He approaches a tax audit efficiently and methodically, and will help you get organized to survive IRS scrutiny. Don’t delay getting the tax relief you deserve from IRS tax problems. Contact Gartzman Law Firm today at  (770) 939-7710  for expert guidance and legal representation during an IRS tax audit or settling tax debt.