Resolving State Tax Audits
Resolving State Treasury Issues Quickly
Not as well known as their federal counterparts, the IRS Audits, your state tax authorities can also audit your returns, creating their own sense of risk to you and your business. Sometimes the IRS and State will find the same discrepancy, and both organizations will audit you simultaneously, but more commonly they look at different things. The Federal Government largely relies on income taxes, while your state government may have a myriad of other things that they tax. If you move to a state like Florida without an Income Tax, your state will never audit your income, but may review your sales tax or other records.
Audits are Scary
We’ll get through them together
Audits are a scary process. Whether it is the IRS reviewing 7 years of records, or the internal audit department at your company reviewing your records, being inspected is a terrifying process. There are two reasons to bring representation to a state tax audit. One reason is that we know the rules and regulations, and we can keep you from getting yourself in trouble from ignorance. The other reason is that because the situation is nerve wracking. Even if you know the rules, the process can be exhausting, and distract you from your main business. Letting us handle your audit representation can reduce these risks.
State Tax Audits
How do they work?
Unfortunately, that’s too broad of a question to answer. Each state’s revenue departments are setup differently, and the rules vary. However, the process is going to be similar to the IRS process, where they will request records that we supply. State revenue departments are often a little less structured than the IRS, and the field agents often have more flexibility. They also are likely to be more sympathetic to local conditions that may cause problems. The most common issue will be your state’s equivalent of the IRS CP2000 Notice, but a variety of issues and notices can pop up. However, the situation remains the same, you want to comply with your state audits, while giving them no additional information than what they request to avoid starting a fishing expedition.
Other State Audits?
What non-income Audits Exist?
The most common are going to be state income taxes, which are similar to IRS audits, or Sales Tax Audits. Those are the main sources of revenue at the state level, and the primary sources that require your records to verify. For most businesses, your other taxes are more straightforward. Property taxes may have an appraisal and appeal process, but never have an audit process as the information is calculated by the state, county, or city office. If you have a more obscure audit, like a document stamp or liquor stamp tax, you’ll need a local expert in your state’s audit procedures.
Representing in State Audits
Proudly Representing our Clients
We represent our clients in audits regarding state income and state sales taxes. The most common challenges are filing discrepancies, electronic record disputes, and the occasional domicile challenge. As people move to lower tax states, the state revenue departments have gotten aggressive in challenging domicile moves. Keeping meticulous records regarding your move will help protect you. If you have not created strong records, we can work with you, your bank statements, and your other documents to establish your domicile.