Lawyers Offer IRS Audit Tips: Be Nice, Be Responsive, But Don't Say Too Much
‘Tis the season for taxpayers to worry about possible fallout from filing their returns, and lawyers have some straightforward advice to offer those unlucky enough to be audited.
Put yourself in the Internal Revenue Service auditor’s shoes, and remember your manners, the Wall Street Journal advises.
Would you want to be ignored or talked down to? The auditor doesn’t either, and he or she may respond aggressively to such treatment. On the other hand, it’s possible to say too much.
“The more they say, the more follow-up questions that leads to,” partner Robert McKenzie of Arnstein & Lehr tells the newspaper. “That can lead to more issues for review.”
At the same time, don’t assume that the IRS is right and rush to write a check. The taxpayer will, however, have to prove any disputed amount and hence should try to anticipate what documents will be required to do so and start assembling them.
“If you don’t have the documents, you’re going to lose,” says partner John Barrie of Bryan Cave.
