Tax Audit in Columbia, Tennessee

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Tax Audit Lawyers in Columbia

An "audit" is an administrative proceeding in Columbia, Tennessee whereby the IRS, or a local tax-collection agency looks at a person's (or business's) tax filings in more detail than they do in ordinary cases. This is typically done when the tax return has a suspicious discrepancy on it, or if the taxpayer was simply picked at random. It's not uncommon for tax authorities to conduct random audits, providing people with an incentive to be honest on their taxes, knowing that they could be audited at random.

The process of a Columbia, Tennessee 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 confirmed that your audit is authentic, you will be required to meet the auditor at an agreed-upon time and place. The auditor will typically inform you about what documents and other evidence you need to take to the meeting. At the meeting, they will ask you a long series of questions about your taxes, to clear up the thing they're uncertain about.

Reasons For a Tax Audit in Columbia, Tennessee

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

As discussed earlier, tax audits can be conducted at random. Apparently, the government doesn't have the resources to audit every taxpayer under their jurisdiction. But, by conducting a substantial number of random audits each year, taxpayers are, in theory, discouraged from cheating on their taxes, because they know that they might be audited randomly. If you are chosen for a random audit, and have done everything right, you almost certainly have nothing to worry about.

But, some Columbia, Tennessee tax audits occur for a particular reason. This is typically because the IRS or your local tax authority suspects that you have not reported all of your income on your tax return. For example, suppose that, last year, you bought an expensive new luxury car. But say you only claimed ,000 in total income that year. As you might imagine, the IRS is going to be quite interested in finding out where the money for that car came from, and, if you have enough money to buy it, why you aren't paying taxes on that money.

Another typical reason for tax audits in Columbia, Tennessee is when a taxpayer claims a large number of deductions. A deduction is simply a legally-permitted subtraction from a person's taxable income. For instance, charitable donations can be deducted from one's income in the full amount of the donation. However, if a person claims a very large number of deductions, to the point that they claim little or no tax liability, the tax authorities are going to take a closer look.

How Can A Columbia, Tennessee Tax Lawyer Help?

If you experience an audit in Columbia, Tennessee, 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 typically light. It will probably be little more than a requirement that you pay back taxes and interest.

However, there are times when an audit is conducted to investigate far more serious issues. If you find yourself facing allegations from the IRS of serious wrongdoing, and believe yourself to be innocent, you should pursue the advice of a Columbia, Tennessee tax attorney immediately.

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Life in Columbia

Columbia, Tennessee is home to just under 40,000 residents, and located just 45 miles south of the state's capital Nashville. Columbia was also the birthplace of the nation's 11th president, James K. Polk and boasts a variety of athletic, cultural, and other activities for its residents and visitors to enjoy on their visit to Columbia. There are also lots of historical plantation homes in the city of Columbia that draw many visitors.

Columbia, Tennessee is located in Maury County, abutting the beautiful Duck River. Columbia is famous for Mule Day-- a week long celebration every April dedicated to all things Mule which the city of Columbia attributes to having a very formative role in the colonization of the city. Every year, Mule day attracts over 1,000 spectators from all over the United States.

Not just known for mules, Columbia, Tennessee also has quality legal services to offer with great lawyers eager to serve their clients. The nearest law school to Columbia is Vanderbilt, located in Nashville. There are many other local law schools, producing quality lawyers every year. Columbia is home to many talented lawyers that specialize in a range of legal practices. Columbia lawyers are available to help with any legal problem you may encounter!

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