If you find yourself jousting with an opinionated, intimidating, or unfair IRS agent during an audit, you can either ask to speak with a manager, contact an official at the IRS problem resolution center, or hire an outside professional. A tax professional may be able to help you deal with the requests of an IRS agent since they are not emotionally involved, and know what to do during an audit. It is important not to let personal differences between you and an IRS agent stand between you and access to your rights during an audit.
First, keep in mind the difference between unprofessional and firm. If the IRS agent is being insulting, ignoring you, or seems unsure of his job, then he or she is acting unprofessionally. If the IRS agent is just firmly requesting that you do certain things that would be an inconvenience to you or don’t seem to agree with your conclusions, he or she is simply doing the job at hand.
If you determine that the IRS agent is acting unprofessionally, ask to speak with his or her manager and explain to the manager exactly what the IRS agent did that was unprofessional. When speaking with the manager, remember to remain professional yourself and always keep your emotions in check. You will need to explain what the IRS agent did, the circumstances of their actions, and how, exactly, their behavior was unprofessional. If the IRS agent is consistently unprofessional, then you may be assigned a new one to finish your audit.
When you find yourself constantly arguing with the IRS agent or the agent has acted in an unprofessional way, and you feel the manager is not the best option, you can contact the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Services. This free service is provided through the IRS as a means of solving tax problems that the IRS agents are not solving on their own. These advocate services for problem resolution are there for you to explain the problems you are having with the IRS agent conducting your audit, and to get suggestions on steps you can take to make things better.
If an IRS official is bringing up issues that are above your head or asking for things from you that seem impossible, then it may be time to hire a professional or a tax attorney. Consider hiring an accountant for minor issues or a tax attorney for problems that seem to require negotiating. An experienced tax professional like an attorney will help you with any problems you encounter during your audit, and make sure there is no unprofessional behavior by your IRS agent.