Tax Matters - The Top Tax Defenders Blog

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in May 2019 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

If you somehow missed all the clues that Tax Day is April 15 (every year), or all the specials from tax preparers running up to this year’s Tax Day, you may be wondering what to do now.

Taxes become more complicated every year, and it doesn’t look like that trend will end anytime soon. We have gathered some of the most popular posts of the last tax year so you can get an idea of the kind of problems people are trying to solve and to put some of our most valuable advice in one spot.

Have you received notice of an audit from a state or government agency? If so, you might be wondering what to do next. An agency might request a sales tax audit to review a private company’s accounting information. By sending an auditor to complete a thorough examination of accounting and information related to your business, an audit serves to identify discrepancies in your business data.

Each year's tax season always brings with it the possibility of the IRS auditing your return. Even if you believe you have filed your taxes correctly and rightfully paid what you owed, you still may find your tax returns singled out for review. You can prepare yourself now for this minute but possible chance by understanding how the IRS uses data to select returns for auditing.

 Just like private citizens, corporations are required by federal law to file and pay their taxes. When you have fallen behind on this obligation, you may live with the constant worry about what actions the IRS can take against you to collect the back taxes you now owe the government. You can remedy your delinquent taxes today by using these tips for filing your corporate returns and settling your tax obligation with the IRS.

How and When the IRS Communicates with Taxpayers

Getting a letter or a phone call from the IRS could put you in a state of panic. You might wonder what is wrong with your taxes and if you are about to go to jail. You can make any communication with the IRS easier and less stressful by knowing how and when this government bureau will contact you about your tax returns.

The IRS has a legal right to use extraordinary means to collect money owed to the federal government. When you forget or simply choose not to pay your tax debt, you expose yourself to these collection activities that could compromise your financial security. 

Depending on your financial and earning situation after you retire, you may have to continue filing taxes each year. The fact that you are retired does not mean that the IRS cannot or will not audit you. You could find yourself subject to an IRS audit if you include these missteps on your tax returns. 

The IRS has the right to pursue any debt that is owed to the federal government. Even so, you have rights as a taxpayer that the IRS cannot violate or take away from you. 

Taxpayers by law must file returns for every year that they are alive and receive taxable income. This obligation does not at the moment that they pass away.