Frequently Asked Questions

The Enrolled Agent profession dates back to 1884 when, after questionable claims had been presented for Civil War losses, Congress acted to regulate persons who represented citizens in their dealings with the Treasury Department. This congressional regulation made Enrolled Agents the first to be appointed as representatives, with CPAs and Attorneys being given this right later. An Enrolled Agent is an individual who has demonstrated technical competence in the field of taxation. The term “Enrolled“ means the individual is licensed by the federal government. The term “Agent“ means the individual is authorized to appear in place of the taxpayer at the Internal Revenue Service. Only Enrolled Agents (EAs), Attorneys, and Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) may represent taxpayers before the IRS at all administrative levels. An EA’s expertise in the continually changing field of tax law enables them to effectively represent taxpayers audited by the IRS. EAs are required to complete 72 hours of continuing professional education, reported every three years, to maintain their status as an EA. Only the Enrolled Agent is required to demonstrate to the Internal Revenue Service their competence in matters of taxation before they may represent a taxpayer before the IRS. Unlike Attorneys and CPAs, who may or may not choose to specialize in taxes, all EAs specialize in taxation. EAs are the only taxpayer representatives who receive their right to practice from the United States government and can practice in all 50 states. (CPAs and Attorneys are licensed by the states and can practice only in the states in which they are licensed.)

The IRS usually requires six years of returns to bring you back into compliance—not decades. We begin by reviewing your IRS transcripts and determining exactly which years matter for your situation.

You’re not stuck. The IRS keeps Wage & Income Transcripts with copies of forms filed under your Social Security Number. We combine those with bank and credit card statements to help rebuild your returns.

Yes. An IRS “Substitute for Return” doesn’t include deductions, credits, or exemptions. Filing your own accurate return allows us to correct the numbers—often reducing what you owe.

The IRS generally has 10 years from the date of assessment to collect a balance. But that clock only starts once a return is filed. Getting compliant is the first step to starting that countdown.

Criminal prosecution is rare and typically reserved for willful, high-dollar cases. Most taxpayers just need to get compliant. The sooner you act, the less serious the consequences.

There’s no sure way to avoid a tax audit but keeping good books and records is a definite start. Most audited tax returns are selected for review either because the filer is part of a target group or because a computer program selects the return. The computer system selects many returns randomly, but there are red flags that will draw the Internal Revenue Service’s attention. Having your return prepared by a professional tax preparer helps you to navigate around these red flags.

First of all, don’t panic. Just because you receive a letter from the IRS, it does not indicate that an audit is in process. There are many types of correspondence from the IRS, so bring your IRS letter to Infinity Tax & Accounting so that we can research what the IRS is after. If it is an audit, Infinity Tax & Accounting is experienced with the IRS in regards to audits and can help you through the audit process.

Successful outsourcing relationships enable business owners/CEOs to focus on their business’ core competencies, eliminating the daily tactical to-do lists (working in the business) that keeps them from spending time on the big picture and strategic initiatives (working on the business). Businesses find that they save money, improve quality of work, and free up resources when they outsource the right functions.