Tax Audit in Mountain View, California

Find the right Tax Audit attorney in Mountain View, CA

Tax Audit Lawyers in Mountain View

A "tax audit" in California is the process by which the proper tax authorities (either the IRS, at the federal level, or its state equivalent) investigate a tax filing in more detail than they do for ordinary filings, typically because there appears to be a discrepancy, or some other suspicious item, in somebody's tax returns. However, the IRS (and state tax authorities) sometimes do rounds of random audits, where they audit taxpayers at random, without necessarily suspecting them of any wrongdoing.

The process of a Mountain View, California tax audit is typically pretty straightforward. If and when you are faced with a tax audit, you'll receive a letter from the IRS, or its state equivalent, telling you that you're being audited. However, you should not assume that this letter is authentic, because con artists will sometimes send fake audit letters to squeeze money out of innocent taxpayers. You should pursue independent confirmation of the letter's authenticity by searching the Internet for the name of the government agency in question, and contact them for more information.

Once you have made sure that your audit is indeed real, you can do a few things to get ready for it. Most vitally, you should gather all of the documents that the auditor has asked for, as well as any additional documents and evidence that you think might help clear up any confusion about your tax return. You should bring these to the meeting with the auditor, and truthfully (to the best of your knowledge) answer all of the questions that the auditor asks.

Reasons For a Tax Audit in Mountain View, California

There are several reasons why the federal government, or the government of California may want to audit a taxpayer.

As mentioned above, an audit can happen simply because a person was chosen for an audit at random. If you are randomly chosen for a tax audit, and you have been forthright and diligent in collecting your tax documents, it will probably be a quick, painless process, and you likely don't have anything to worry about.

On the other hand, some taxpayers in Mountain View, California are audited for a particular reason, rather than being drawn at random. If the tax authorities believe that you have underreported your income, that is a very recognized reason for a tax audit. For instance, if you claim on your tax return that you make ,000 per year, and, in the same year, purchase an expensive luxury item, the tax authorities will wonder where you got that extra money, and why you're not paying taxes on it.

Likewise, trying to deduct a large percentage of your income is likely to raise suspicions. A tax deduction is a way to reduce one's tax liability by making some of one's income non-taxable. Some customary sources of tax deductions in Mountain View, California are business expenses and charitable donations. Some people, however, try to include false deductions in their tax returns (trying to deduct charitable donations they never truly gave, for example). A massive number of deductions will be highly suspicious to the tax authorities, and they will want to see evidence to support every deduction you claim, if you're audited.

How Can A Mountain View, California Tax Lawyer Help?

If you are audited in Mountain View, California, and believe that you have done everything right in collecting and filing your tax return, you probably don't have much to worry about. If there is anything wrong with your tax return, it was probably the result of an honest mistake, which will result in light penalties - typicallyy just an order to pay any back taxes you owe, plus interest.

But, in more perplexing cases, chances are you would be well-served by a tax lawyer in Mountain View, California, to ensure that your tax audit goes smoothly.

Talk to a Tax Law Attorney now!

Life in Mountain View

Mountain View, California is a city in Santa Clara County. It has a population of about 74,000 people.

Mountain View, California is one of the major centers of Silicon Valley - a region directly south of San Francisco that's known for the huge number of technology companies and innovators located there. Since the 1950s, technology companies have chosen to make Mountain View, and other nearby Silicon Valley communities, their home.

Most notably, Mountain View is the home of search giant Google, which is also the largest employer in the city, with over 10,000 Mountain View employees. Google, and other companies, employ or retain a large number of extremely well-credentialed lawyers, as well, because of the many legal issues such companies face on a regular basis.

If you live in Mountain View, California and need a lawyer, there are many extremely sophisticated an experienced attorneys who practice in Mountain View. Mountain View, California attorneys can help residents with just about any legal problem they might face.

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