Do You Know Your Appeal Rights?

Did you know that the IRS makes a determination that you disagree with, you may have Appeal rights? If you disagree with the final determination from an audit, a levy or lien you received, you have Appeal rights. You usually have a specific amount of time, often 30 days to file for an Appeal. The notice you received should tell you how long you have to file and how you need to do so. Here are some important points you need to know:

• Be prepared to show documentation to support your objection.
• An Appeals conference is an informal meeting. You can represent your self or have a CPA or Enrolled Agent to represent you.
• The conference can be held over the phone or in person.
• If you still disagree with the findings of the Appeals Officer, you can contest this ruling in Tax Court--this will require an attorney to represent you.

Publication 5 at irs.gov will give you more details. If you file and Appeal that is just based on your not liking the results, you Appeal will be denied. You need to have documentation to show you have reasonable cause to request a different determination. For instance, your audit showed you owe more taxes than you believe you owe. You found documentation for expenses that were not taken into consideration--that is a valid reason to Appeal.

If you need either representation for an Appeal or just someone to help you resolve you tax problems, contact an Enrolled Agent.