Top Ten Tips for Appealing an IRS Audit

Suggestions to help you appeal the result of an IRS tax audit.

Collection of your tax bill is delayed for many months when you appeal the results of an IRS audit.
Appeals are often successful in reducing liabilities, but seldom are audit reports totally reversed.
The IRS usually allows you to appeal its decisions to the IRS Appeals Office.
The IRS Appeals Office is independent from the IRS audit department. The IRS Appeals Office wants to settle to keep you from going to Tax Court.
Start an appeal by writing a protest letter and sending it to the local IRS district director.
Prepare for an appeals hearing by organizing your records carefully.
When you appeal, make a Freedom of Information Act request for the auditor's records so you can see what the auditor is seeing.
Many appeal issues are simple enough for you to handle without hiring a tax pro, but a consultation with one is a good idea to know what tax law says on certina points.
To get a settlement, you must show the appeals officer that you would have some chance of winning on the tax issues if you went to court.
If you don't appeal, or you don't win your appeal, you can go to Tax Court. For more information, see Small Claims -- the Friendly Side of Tax Court.