Tax Audit in Tampa, Florida

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Tax Audit Lawyers in Tampa

A "tax audit" in Florida is the process by which the relevant 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, usually 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 unexpected audits, where they audit taxpayers at random, without necessarily suspecting them of any wrongdoing.

The actual process involved in a tax audit in Tampa, Florida is usually fairly straightforward. If you hare chosen for an audit, you will receive a letter in the mail telling you as much. Before responding, it's critical for you to make sure that the letter is authentic, because there are scammers who send fake audit letters to innocent victims, in an attempt to extort money out of them. You should search the Internet for the name of the organization that the letter claims to represent, and call them using the contact information on their website, and confirm that you are actually being audited.

After confirming that the audit you're facing is actually legitimate, there are a few things you can do to prepare. Initially, you should assemble all of the relevant documents you have in your possession. This should include your tax return, W-2 forms, and records of any expenses that you claim as deductions. You should bring these documents, and any others that the auditor requests, to the meeting. At the meeting, the auditor will ask you a series of questions, which you should answer honestly and to the best of your knowledge.

Reasons For a Tax Audit in Tampa, Florida

Tax Audits in Florida can happen for a wide variety of various reasons.

As considered earlier, an audit might happen due to a taxpayer being randomly selected. If this happens to you, and you have been honest on your tax returns, it's unlikely that you'll have much to worry about.

Nonetheless, some people in Tampa, Florida are audited because the government suspects that they are underreporting their income. For instance, if you report that you only make ,000 per year, and then go out and buy an expensive sports car, the IRS and state tax authorities are going to want to discover where the money to buy that car came from.

Likewise, attempting to deduct a large percentage of your income is likely to raise suspicions. A tax deduction is a way to lower one's tax liability by making some of one's income non-taxable. Some common sources of tax deductions in Tampa, Florida are business expenses and charitable donations. Some people, nonetheless, try to include incorrect deductions in their tax returns (attempting to deduct charitable donations they never actually gave, for example). A wide 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 Tampa, Florida Tax Lawyer Help?

If you experience an audit in Tampa, Florida, and believe that you have properly reported all of your income on your tax filings, it will probably go fine. And if there is anything wrong with your filings, it was likely the result of an honest mistake, and auditors are generally sensitive to this fact. In such cases, the penalty is usually light. It will probably be little more than a requirement that you pay back taxes and interest.

Nonetheless, if the situation is more convoluted, you may need to hire a Tampa, Florida tax attorney. A tax attorney can help you through your audit, and make sure it goes as smoothly as possible.

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Life in Tampa

Tampa is the seat of Hillsboro County, Florida. Tampa is home to nearly 350,000 residents including a number of professional athletes who play on local Tampa based teams. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers who won Super Bowl XXXVII champions in 2002 play at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa is also home to the Tampa Bay Lightning professional NHL hockey team. The only team claiming the "Tampa Bay" location that does not play within city limits is the Tampa Bay Rays MLB team who play in nearby St. Petersburg.

Downtown Tampa has been undergoing a revitalization project that started in 2007. Residential, hotel, and mixed use building have been constructed in an effort to revamp the downtown region and increase housing values. Rents have reduced and average of 4% in the United States but Tampa has only seen a 2% decrease. The discrepancy could be a result of the new downtown projects, however, Tampa offers outstanding transportation routes including railroad, high speed rail, sea ports, 3 nearby airports, and well maintained streets and highways.

The MacDill Air Force Base is home to the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) as well as an impressive fleet of cutting edge aircraft. Tampa residents and visitors frequent the annual air show that resumed after a 2002 and 2003 hiatus resulting from the 9/11 attacks.

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