Peace of Mind

It was early 2022, and the snow was hanging heavy on tree branches. Sarah and Zeke were finally getting around to putting away their holiday decorations when they saw their friendly neighborhood postal worker carrying a large sack of mail. Hopeful that they had received a delayed holiday card from a loved one, bundled up in their comfiest clothes, they headed out to grab the mail. They began separating their mail – holiday cards in one pile, bills in the other. Finally getting to the end of the stack they saw three letters that knocked the holly jolly right out of their spirit: I.R.S.  

Panicking, they ripped the letter open to reveal an audit letter from the IRS. The IRS was auditing their Schedule C Business, looking at their gross receipts, legal and professional services, travel expenses, and office expenses. Once the initial shock wore off, they made themselves a cup of hot chocolate and decided to get down to business. They found their tax return for 2020 and began combing through each page, looking at every single detail of their Schedule C. When they got to the end of their tax return, they found a page mentioning an Audit Defense Membership with TaxAudit. Like a beacon of light, they both gasped as they remembered they had added the extra protection on their tax return in 2020, “just in case.”

After a quick Google search, they found themselves on TaxAudit’s website and, within minutes, were able to start a case, upload their documents, and receive an automated message assuring them a representative would be reaching out to them shortly. Just a few days later, they were on the phone with their assigned Tax Professional, Toni, discussing the details of their audit. They were told that they had received a Field Audit, which meant that the IRS required an in-person meeting to handle their audit. Before the panic could even begin to register, Toni assured them that she would be the one who would be attending the meeting on Sarah and Zeke’s behalf, and they would not have to go to any meetings or deal with the IRS alone. In fact, she’d be the one to speak with the IRS directly, so they never had to! 

Toni put Sarah and Zeke to work, gathering documents, completing questionnaires, and answering questions that helped paint a clearer picture of their Schedule C situation. Armed and ready for battle, Toni began the process of working with the IRS. Unfortunately, nothing with the IRS is a quick process, and it wasn’t until mid-2022 that Toni had her first meeting with the IRS over the phone.  

Phone calls and documents were exchanged as the IRS continued to issue Information Document Request after Information Document Request, looking deeper into their 2020 tax return. Toni kept Sarah and Zeke informed every step of the way, requesting new documents when needed, or taking the time to explain the complexities of the requests in an easily understandable way.  

Weeks turned into months, and soon it had been a year since they had received their first IRS letter. On the back end, Toni was busy with phone calls, conference calls, and constant communication with the IRS to move the audit along. For these types of audits, this is a typical timeframe, and often taxpayers without representation begin to feel fatigued. However, Sarah and Zeke knew that Toni was going to bat for them at every corner and had peace of mind that they weren’t facing the IRS alone.  

Finally, a year and a half after the whole process began, they received word from Toni that the IRS had accepted the tax return as filed, meaning that the IRS was no longer questioning their 2020 tax return. In short, they owed nothing to the IRS and the nightmare was over! Relieved, this is what they had to say at the conclusion of their case: 

“Toni was such a help through this process. My husband and I were very limited in our understanding and she walked us through each step. She stayed on the IRS when they drug their feet. She kept them in line to our business model when they didn't seem to understand some things. She was punctual and dedicated to our case and gave us the support we needed. I highly recommend her to anyone needing help navigating the IRS. Thank you for having such informed employees!” 

*Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals.