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Notices & Audits
25 guides in Notices & Audits.
If the IRS Calls Your Side Business a Hobby, You Pay Tax on the Revenue and Deduct Nothing
As of 2026, hobby expenses are permanently nondeductible. Here's the nine-factor test the IRS uses and how to stay on the business side of it.
Notices & AuditsThe IRS Just Marked National Whistleblower Day. Here's Who Actually Turns Business Owners In.
The IRS paid $123.5 million in whistleblower awards last year. Most of those tips didn't come from strangers — they came from people who worked for you.
Notices & AuditsYou Paid Your Vendors Before You Paid the IRS. That Can Make You Personally Liable for the Whole Bill.
A little-known federal law makes officers personally liable for unpaid business taxes if they pay other creditors first while the company is insolvent.
Notices & AuditsThe Company Paid For It, Not Him. The Tax Court Says He Still Owes the Tax.
A new Tax Court case: personal expenses paid with business funds are taxable to whoever benefits — even a family member who was never on payroll.
Notices & AuditsYou Donated $50,000 to Charity. One Missing Sentence on the Receipt Can Erase the Entire Deduction.
A 2026 Tax Court case wiped out a multi-million-dollar donation over one missing line in the thank-you letter. Here's the exact wording the IRS requires.
Notices & AuditsYou Claimed the Short-Term Rental Loophole. Can You Prove It?
The STR 'material participation' loophole works until an audit asks for proof. Here's the documentation that holds up and the kind that doesn't.
Notices & AuditsWashington May Loosen Contractor Rules. That Doesn't Fix the 1099s You're Already Worried About.
A federal proposal could ease contractor classification under wage law. It won't change your IRS or New York risk — here's why those are separate fights.
Notices & AuditsThe IRS Lost 28,000 Employees. Here's What That Silence on Your Notice Actually Means.
The IRS cut 27% of its workforce in 2025. For business owners waiting on a refund, abatement, or notice response, that delay isn't good news.
Notices & AuditsThe 2026 IRS Dirty Dozen Is Out. Three of Them Are Targeting Your Business.
The IRS released its 2026 Dirty Dozen scam list. Three items directly target small business owners: bogus credits, fuel fraud, and ghost preparers.
Notices & AuditsThe IRS Will Sometimes Accept Less Than You Owe — But the Math Has to Work
The IRS accepted just 21% of Offers in Compromise in 2024. Here's how the eligibility formula works, when to apply, and when not to bother.
Notices & AuditsWhen Is the IRS Finally Out of Time to Audit You?
The IRS has 3 years to audit most returns. But there are two exceptions that extend it to 6 years—or remove the deadline entirely. Here's how it works.
Notices & AuditsThe IRS Audited You and You Don't Have Receipts. Here's What Actually Happens Next.
Missing receipts don't automatically mean you lose your deductions in an audit. Here's how the IRS handles it — and what you need to know.
Notices & AuditsThe IRS Has a Get-Out-of-Penalty-Free Card. Most Business Owners Never Ask for It.
The IRS will remove failure-to-file and failure-to-pay penalties for qualifying businesses — and starting in 2026, it's automatic for eligible returns.
Notices & AuditsThe IRS Is Running 125 AI Models on Your Tax Return Right Now
The IRS nearly doubled its AI audit models between 2024 and 2026. Here's what the systems specifically look for — and which businesses are at highest risk.
Notices & AuditsYou Got an ERC Notice from the IRS. Here's What It Actually Means.
The IRS has six years to audit and recapture Employee Retention Credit claims. What disallowance notices mean, what your real options are, and when to act.
Notices & AuditsIRS Lien vs. IRS Levy: What Happens to Your Business When You Stop Responding to Notices
A lien claims your assets on paper. A levy empties your bank account. Most business owners learn the difference too late — here's the full notice sequence.
Notices & AuditsThe IRS Can Take Your House for Unpaid Payroll Taxes — Here's How
Missed payroll tax deposits can trigger the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty, making you personally liable for 100% of what your business owed.
Notices & AuditsYou Owe the IRS and Can't Pay It. Here Are Your Real Options.
Owe the IRS and can't pay? Don't ignore it. Installment plans, short-term extensions, and offers in compromise — what each costs and who qualifies.
Notices & AuditsNo, You Can't Write Off Your Wardrobe: What Content Creators Actually Get to Deduct
The viral 'buy designer clothes and write them off' advice is wrong. The real IRS rule on clothing, watches, and luxury goods — and what does qualify.
Notices & AuditsRunning Your Business Through a Personal Account? That's the First Thing an Auditor Looks For
Mixing business and personal money costs you deductions and your liability shield. Why a clean, separate set of books is your best audit defense.
Notices & AuditsYou Got a CP2000 From the IRS. Don't Panic — and Don't Just Pay It.
A CP2000 isn't an audit and isn't a bill — it's a proposed change from a document mismatch, often overstated. How to read it and respond inside 30 days.
Notices & AuditsCalling a Worker a 1099 Contractor When the IRS Says Employee: The Mistake That Costs the Most
Misclassifying an employee as a 1099 contractor can mean back payroll taxes, penalties, and interest. How to tell the difference and protect yourself.
Notices & AuditsThe Quarterly Tax Mistake That Quietly Racks Up Penalties
Skip or lowball estimated taxes and the IRS adds a penalty — currently 7% — even if you pay in full at filing. The safe-harbor rule that prevents it.
Notices & AuditsViral Tax "Hacks" That Quietly Trigger Audits
The G-Wagon write-off, the Augusta Rule, hiring your kids, the 'LLC = write-offs' myth: what's real in the viral advice and where it goes wrong.
Notices & AuditsWhy Schedule C Returns Get Audited More Than S-Corps (and the Home Office Myth)
Sole proprietors get audited more than s-corps, and IRS data shows why. Here's the real reason, plus the truth about the home office deduction.