Accounting News and Notes

Knowing Your Appeal Rights with the IRS

When going to war, a soldier will plan, plan and plan again being sure that their tactics, protocols and training are ready for the task at hand. Though at times ones equipment and abilities will be tasked to the very edge of their capacities, the goal of a good soldier is to the extent possible to accomplish the task at hand while avoiding as few casualties as possible, preferably none. Similarly a great general who has a lay of the land, an understanding of the opposition and a firm grasp of the talents and capabilities of his men is most apt to be granted success than one who plows ahead unaware and unconcerned about the risks ahead. In fact, a prudent general will always perform substantive reconnaissance to understand and acknowledge what will be involved and required to achieve victory.

Seek Wise Counsel. So should a CPA as your most trusted financial adviser guide and direct you through the details and nuances of IRS tax law and its many variables. If you choose to represent your-self before the Internal Revenue Service in either an audit, Offer in Compromise, lien, levy, garnishment, amending returns, or preparing your own business returns, it is a recipe for disaster and is akin to having a patient perform their own open heart surgery. If you were to attempt to do your own major surgery at home, you are apt to make a bad incision, take out the wrong organ, cause an infection, create undue pain and mortally wound yourself. Other than that you are apt to be able to perform your own surgery successfully, so is it the same who chose to represent themselves before the IRS as it is often said, “he who represents himself, has a fool for a client.”

Rights of Appeal. Typically most tax decisions by IRS personnel are able to be appealed. However there are some tax rules and regulations that are not subject to interpretation, are not vague and should not be considered as an issue to request reconsideration. An example of this would be a taxpayer who has not claimed Section 179 on their original return then going back years later and filing an amended return. Similarly requesting a change of accounting method for a prior year filed return would not be an item likely to be considered on appeal.

Knowing Tax Law.  Unless you studied accounting in college and graduated with a BBA in Accounting, passed the CPA exam and have less than a few years experience with a quality CPA supervision, you are most like ill-equipped and unprepared for knowing that would be in your best interest. Volumes of press have been written over the years that tax law needs simplification and that it is exceedingly complex, to which most would agree. However, if this is the case representing one’s self before the IRS would be akin to walking through a minefield without knowing where each one is planted. Yes you would be most apt, to find one of the mines but it would be at the expense of leg, arm or life.

John Dillard is a Christian Speaker/Author and Certified Public Accountant (All Rights Reserved). To See how he takes Christ along with him to work visit http://www.hiscpa.com/ (An Atlanta  CPA firm) and for his latest book Overcoming Life’s 9/11’s: Job’s Journey and to learn about his ministry. To contact John Dillard CPA (Atlanta Christian Author/Speaker) today call 770. 814.9304 proudly serving Duluth, GA, Gwinnett County and Beyond.

“Dare to Attempt Something so Great for the Kingdom of God that it is doomed to failure, lest Christ be in it!” What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

We advise clients on: IRS representation, Offer in Compromise, Tax Problems, Incorporation in Georgia, Corporate and Personal Income Tax Returns, Part-time CFO, Virtual Controller, Business Planning, Offer in Compromise, Back Taxes, Business Acquisitions/Sales,  Forensic Accounting, Business Valuations and Bookkeeping.

Related posts:

1. How to Use an Offers of Compromise with the Internal Revenue Service
2. Internal Revenue Service Tax Advocate Office
3. Duluth/Alpharetta/Roswell CPA on Addressing Back Taxes/IRS Representation Problems With the Internal Revenue Service
4. Atlanta/Norcross CPA Offers Atlanta Business Owners Advice in the Preparation of the Company’s Internal Books & Records…Atlanta Bookkeeping & Financial Statements
5. Atlanta CPA: Addressing Appeal Rights of Atlanta Taxpayers for Decades

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 at 9:44 am and is filed under IRS Representation, Back Tases, Offer in Compromise, IRS Tax Problems/Tax Advocacy.
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