One of the most valuable services David J. Harris provides is audit representation. This means he will speak and work on your behalf if you become subject to a tax audit by the IRS or state. Many people and businesses fear tax audits because of their sometimes enormous complexity. While it is true that audits can be complicated, there is nothing to be afraid of if you have been filing all your taxes correctly. The IRS or state tax authorities simply want to check that no discrepancies exist in your filings.
This is where a Pennsylvania audit representation lawyer such as David can help. People who get audited are allowed to hire authorized lawyers to handle the audit for them. These professionals gather the necessary tax forms and interact with the authorities in place of the individual being audited. In other words, you, the taxpayer, will not have to meet with the IRS or state tax agency representative.
To help you decide whether tax audit representation would benefit you, here is more information about what tax audits are, what they involve, and how a lawyer can help.
Why Do People Get Audited?
The idea of getting audited by the IRS or the state can be understandably nerve-wracking for people because they assume it means they have done something wrong. This is not always the case. The IRS and Pennsylvania Department of Revenue (DOR) randomly select some individuals to audit; other people are specifically targeted with an audit due to what the IRS sees as questionable tax activity. The purpose of an audit is for the IRS or state authorities to ensure they receive all the taxes they are owed.
Do the IRS and PA Department of Revenue Determine Who to Audit?
Except for the randomized parts of the IRS’s and DOR’s audit selections, there are various kinds of tax-reporting activities that will likely engender a closer look by the IRS and DOR, and eventually an audit. One of the most obvious mistakes taxpayers can make is to fail to report all their income for a given tax year. Whether this was intentional or just a mistake, the IRS will ultimately discover the discrepancy and would be within its rights to audit you to find out what is really going on.
The IRS and DOR may also audit someone based on suspicious deductions being claimed. Some taxpayers do try to defraud the IRS and DOR by, for example, claiming they incurred business expenses from a “home office” that actually consisted of nothing more than a laptop used for working at home. The IRS and DOR claim that home offices qualify as such only if part of a person’s home is used exclusively for business. Similarly, reporting charitable donations that the taxpayer did not actually make is also fraud. This point is obvious, but what actually raises suspicions at the IRS and DOR is if the claimed donation is too large to have been made by someone with a particular salary.
The lessons here are simple: do not attempt to defraud the IRS or DOR, and be sure not to make mistakes when filing tax forms.
Experienced Audit Representation Lawyer in Pennsylvania
Given all that information, you may still find yourself staring down a letter from the IRS or DOR, informing you that you are being audited. Whether you made an error or are simply one of the agency’s randomized yearly audits, the situation can be stressful, and it is definitely time consuming.
The Law Office of David J. Harris can represent you if you get audited. If the mess of paperwork and in-person meetings confuse or overwhelm you, trust a noted audit representation lawyer such as David to get to the bottom of things for you. With more than 35 years of experience working in finance law, David is a true expert and can help get you out of this worrisome period.
Contact David today to set up a consultation on your tax audit.