(CT) tax audit help

[amyjeans]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Connecticut
Greetings,
we have been summoned for a tax audit appointment and cannot afford an atty. We need to postpone the appointment (we haven't ctcd the IRS yet) for several reasons, I'm due with our 5th child in about 4-6 weeks & our paperwork is not in order for what they are requesting. Is there an IRS form to do this, can a simple call do the trick, should we write a letter? What would be a valid reason to them?
Also...would it be best to retain counsel for this and would an atty agree to a payment plan?

thanks for your help.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

 

[Zigner]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Connecticut
Greetings,
we have been summoned for a tax audit appointment and cannot afford an atty. We need to postpone the appointment (we haven't ctcd the IRS yet) for several reasons, I'm due with our 5th child in about 4-6 weeks & our paperwork is not in order for what they are requesting. Is there an IRS form to do this, can a simple call do the trick, should we write a letter? What would be a valid reason to them?
Also...would it be best to retain counsel for this and would an atty agree to a payment plan?

thanks for your help.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

Call them and ask about rescheduling.

As for the attorney - you haven't indicated exactly WHAT is being audited, nor have you indicated the complexity of your tax situation.

Attorneys may agree to payment plans - you'd have to ask the attorney.

 

[tranquility]

A call will do it, but how long are you talking about? I assume some recovery after childbirth, so if you want to delay the thing for months you'll find the agent probably not be so cooperative.

However, you can go to a CPA or an EA to represent you for a less amount than an attorney to represent you if you'd like.

 

[amyjeans]

recap and update

We were called for a tax audit 10-10. Complied in time, made appt for 11-29. postponed to 12-21 (today) husband literally in car going to appt now. I am 2 days postpardum- birth our 5th child on 12-19 3am. Still very fragile, and was unable togather all needed docs for audit in time. we need more time. requested 2nd extention- was told by IRS, they have a 30 day window to complete audit. Public knowledge found out today- IRS has 3 yrs from date of filed tax return (2009). I am unable to get all records together and we can, but need more time. Husband going in with letter requesting max allowed time by law for extention. Need help, guidance. We are willing to cooperate, but might need atty at this point. Just need more time. any suggestions? please help!

update:
Meeting kept. agent flat out told told husband "You have until Jan 25th to appeal my findings." He made a judgement without allowing us the right to complete their request for documentation- which I can do if given more time.
He determined that we owe 7500$ and is not considering anything- didn't even want any paperwork we had avail. at meeting.
is this infringement of our taxpayer rights to a fair meeting?

 

[LdiJ]

We were called for a tax audit 10-10. Complied in time, made appt for 11-29. postponed to 12-21 (today) husband literally in car going to appt now. I am 2 days postpardum- birth our 5th child on 12-19 3am. Still very fragile, and was unable togather all needed docs for audit in time. we need more time. requested 2nd extention- was told by IRS, they have a 30 day window to complete audit. Public knowledge found out today- IRS has 3 yrs from date of filed tax return (2009). I am unable to get all records together and we can, but need more time. Husband going in with letter requesting max allowed time by law for extention. Need help, guidance. We are willing to cooperate, but might need atty at this point. Just need more time. any suggestions? please help!

update:
Meeting kept. agent flat out told told husband "You have until Jan 25th to appeal my findings." He made a judgement without allowing us the right to complete their request for documentation- which I can do if given more time.
He determined that we owe 7500$ and is not considering anything- didn't even want any paperwork we had avail. at meeting.
is this infringement of our taxpayer rights to a fair meeting?

No it is not an infringement of your rights as a taxpayer. If you had explained the nature of the audit (what exactly was being audited) when you first posted here we might have been able to help you. However, you declined to do so and you did not take the audit seriously, so now you are in the position that you are in.

So now, you either hire a tax attorney to appeal the audit, which means providing the tax attorney all documentation basically immediately, or you pay the 7500.00.

 

[amyjeans]

No it is not an infringement of your rights as a taxpayer. If you had explained the nature of the audit (what exactly was being audited) when you first posted here we might have been able to help you. However, you declined to do so and you did not take the audit seriously, so now you are in the position that you are in.

So now, you either hire a tax attorney to appeal the audit, which means providing the tax attorney all documentation basically immediately, or you pay the 7500.00.

the nature of the audit is 2009 tax return- business expenses, travel for business, and other expenses reported on the return. They want documentation/proof that the items listed were for my husband's business, were required of him, why he went on the trips.
All of this I can certainly prove from various sources, but only require time as I am the sole bookeeper of the documents.

Frankly I have taken this seriously- however, based on your reaction which seems all to similar to the IRS, who gives a **** if I was at the end of a very hard pregnancy, and gave birth just 24 hrs prior to the audit, not to mention caring for 4 small children, and attempting to maintain a semi-normal household.
But who am I to complain right? Shame on me for being selfish.

Thanks for your straight talk.

 

[LdiJ]

the nature of the audit is 2009 tax return- business expenses, travel for business, and other expenses reported on the return. They want documentation/proof that the items listed were for my husband's business, were required of him, why he went on the trips.
All of this I can certainly prove from various sources, but only require time as I am the sole bookeeper of the documents.

Frankly I have taken this seriously- however, based on your reaction which seems all to similar to the IRS, who gives a **** if I was at the end of a very hard pregnancy, and gave birth just 24 hrs prior to the audit, not to mention caring for 4 small children, and attempting to maintain a semi-normal household.
But who am I to complain right? Shame on me for being selfish.

Thanks for your straight talk.

The problem is that those records should have been available and pulled together as of the day the tax return was filed. They should have been stored in that pulled together manner with your copy of the tax return. That is what the law requires you to do.

It should have merely been a question of handing the auditor the folder(s) with the already available records.

In addition, to the IRS it would not be credible that your husband, the person who is actually self employed, could not pull together his own records to substantiate his own expenses.

If you are to continue handling your husband's bookkeeping, then you need to make sure that you have full substantiation for every business deduction at the time the return is filed, and that substantiation should be stored WITH your copy of the tax return.

 

[davew128]

Sorry, it shouldn't have taken more than a couple of hours to pull that together.

 

[amyjeans]

you are stating the obvious. Now to take my lumps.
happy holidays.