IRS Tax Representation
When the IRS sends a notice or starts asking questions, you don't have to deal with them yourself. We step in with power of attorney and handle the communication, negotiation, and resolution on your behalf.
The Letter
It usually starts with a piece of mail from the IRS. Maybe they say you owe more than you thought. Maybe they’re questioning a deduction or saying a return was never filed. Whatever it says, the feeling in your stomach is the same. You read it twice and still aren’t sure what they’re actually asking for or what happens if you don’t respond in time.
Most contractors and trades business owners we work with have gotten at least one of these. The instinct is to ignore it or to call the number on the letter and try to sort it out yourself. Both of those tend to make things worse. The IRS has a process, and if you don’t know how to navigate it, you end up agreeing to things you didn’t need to agree to or missing deadlines that cost you real money.
We Read the Letter for You
We Read the Letter for You
IRS notices are written in a way that can be hard to interpret. We translate what they’re actually saying, what they want, what the deadline is, and what your options are. You get a clear explanation instead of a stack of confusing government language.
We Respond on Your Behalf
We Respond on Your Behalf
Once we have power of attorney on file, the IRS communicates with us directly. You don’t have to sit on hold for two hours or worry about saying the wrong thing on the phone. We handle every piece of correspondence and every conversation from that point forward.
Why This Matters for Trades Businesses
Construction and service businesses get flagged more than people realize. Large equipment purchases, fluctuating income, cash transactions, subcontractor payments. These are all normal parts of running a trades business, but they also happen to be things the IRS pays attention to. A plumber who bought a new work van and paid five subs in the same year can look like a red flag on paper even though everything was legitimate.
The other problem is that many of these businesses ran for years without clean books. Returns may have been filed based on rough estimates or bank statements rather than proper records. When the IRS comes asking questions about numbers from two years ago, you need someone who can reconstruct what happened and present it in a way the IRS will accept.
Industry Knowledge Matters
Industry Knowledge Matters
We work with contractors, electricians, landscapers, and other trades businesses every day. We understand what legitimate business expenses look like in your industry. That context matters when we’re defending your deductions or explaining your income patterns to the IRS.
Reconstructing Records
Reconstructing Records
If your books were messy or incomplete during the period the IRS is questioning, we can work with bank statements, invoices, and receipts to rebuild the picture. The goal is to document every legitimate deduction and piece of income so you’re only paying what you actually owe.
How It Works
You bring us the notice or tell us about the situation. We review everything, explain where things stand, and file a power of attorney so we can speak to the IRS on your behalf. From there, we handle all the back and forth. If they need documents, we gather and submit them. If they propose an adjustment, we review it and push back where the numbers don’t add up.
The goal is always to resolve the issue as quickly and favorably as possible. Sometimes that means getting a penalty removed. Sometimes it means negotiating a payment plan that doesn’t put your business in a bind. Sometimes it means proving the IRS was wrong in the first place. Whatever the path forward looks like, you have a CPA in your corner who knows the process and knows your business.
You Stay Focused on Work
You Stay Focused on Work
Dealing with the IRS can drag on for months. Letters go back and forth. Documents get requested. Deadlines shift. You don’t need to track any of that. We manage the entire timeline and keep you updated on what’s happening without you having to chase it down.
Prevention Going Forward
Prevention Going Forward
Once the issue is resolved, we can help you clean up the things that caused it in the first place. Whether that means getting your books in order, adjusting how you handle subcontractor payments, or planning ahead for next year’s taxes. The best IRS problem is one that never happens.
Long Beach's CPA for Contractors and Trades
The Next Step:
A Quick Conversation
Tell us about your business and where you need help. We'll ask a few questions, let you know what we can do, and give you a quick quote.