California Sales Tax Audit
In a down economy where the government has significant shortfalls, it is to be expected that its tax collection and enforcement agency will continue to become more aggressive. This includes California’s apparent redoubling its efforts in conducting sales and use tax audits. You do not ask for a sales tax audit; rather, one happens to you. If you have found your way into one, the question you should be asking is, What must I do to ensure this runs as smooth as possible? What can I do to prepare for an audit?Purpose of the California Sales Tax Audit
If your business is presently, or shortly will be, subject to a California sales tax audit, there are some things you should consider to prepare:
Books and Records
The first thing you should do is assure yourself that you have maintained accurate books and records. It is good practice to assume that you could come under audit soon after filing your sales tax returns. Many sales tax problems arise because there is a lack of adequate record keeping. A sales tax Attorney / CPA can help to determine whether your records are adequate, and also advise you whether to reconstruct records prior to submitting to a sales tax audit.You are better situated if you begin preparing for an audit now, as opposed to waiting for the notice to arrive. Yet, if the audit notification has already arrived, you must begin gathering the necessary documentation and conduct a “private” audit before the auditor arrives.
Read the Audit Notice
Many people skip over this part, but it is an important step. Read the notice and respond within the appropriate timeframe. After reading the Notice, you will discover which items the auditor seeks to review. I routinely recommend that a representative be hired before making contact with the sales tax auditor.Treat the Audit Seriously
Recall that the auditor has an inherent adverse interest to you: he is not your friend. Thus, be respectful with the auditor, but do not assume he is your friend. It is instructive to know that a California sales tax auditor often thinks that businesses routinely intentionally avoid charging and collecting sales taxes. Their attitude is, in practice, often one of a presumption against your business-and their goal is not to determine whether your business has cheated under sales tax law, but simplyby how much it has.Hire a Sales Tax Audit Attorney
Hiring a tax attorney is a good idea since he knows how to navigate the complex tax laws and the government’s audit procedures and will zealously advocating for you. The job of your tax attorney is to ensure that your business is treated fairly during its sales tax audit. This means, among other things, he seeks to ensure that the government does not overstep its bounds by interpreting complex sales tax law to your disadvantage. The government is often wrong in its conclusions, and it often takes a sales tax attorney to threaten litigation for the government to admit to its error. Your sales tax attorney will also advocate for you by preventing the government from making unfair assumptions about your business revenue. It is wrong for the SBE to overtax businesses simply because the California government needs the revenue.Commonly Asked Questions
"Why was my company selected for audit?”
At this point you may be wondering why your business was selected for audit in the first place. The reason why your business was selected could have been arbitrary, but it is also possible it was because of certain triggering events that arose from your business’s history of sales and use taxes. In particular, there are a number of factors that may lead to a sales tax audit:- (i) Failing to report sales and use tax;
- (ii) Consistently reporting/filing your sales and use taxes late;
- (iii) Reporting substantial exempt sales;
- (iv) Past sales tax audits lead to suspected present sales tax problems;
- (v) One of your vendors was recently audited;
- (vi) You’re in an industry where substantial non-compliance has been found
What sorts of questions does an auditor ask?
It may be helpful to know in advance of an audit what sorts of questions the auditor will ask of your business, and what types of documentation will be examined. The auditor will seek to find unreported taxable income by examining evidence related to:- (i) Book sales compared with sales reported on the sales tax returns;
- (ii) Bank deposits compared with sales reported for sales tax returns;
- (iii) Sales tax returns compared to sales reported for sales tax returns;
- (iv) Engaging in a significant amount of internet based purchases or sales;
Do the California Auditors Work with the IRS?
Often conducting a sales tax audit leads to a double slam-dunk for the government. This is because, in addition to finding discrepancies with your business’s sales taxes, the auditor may discover income tax fraud or evasion. If discovered, the auditor will discretely refer your case to the Franchise Tax Board or IRS’s Criminal Investigations Division, with a possible recommendation for prosecution. Sales tax fraud can also be prosecuted directly.Even if no factors lending themselves to criminal prosecution are apparent in a client’s fact pattern, the State Board of Equalization (“SBE”) often shares information gleaned under audit with the IRS and the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB). For this reason, it is crucial to dispute all false sales tax audit adjustments-even if, at first, it does not seems worthwhile or cost effective. Where a sales tax liability is proposed to exist for unreported revenue by the SBE, additional corresponding income tax penalties and interest due from the IRS or FTB could quite logically follow upon the SBE making a referral to either agency because the FTB and IRS routinely share information.
More Questions and Answers
- Common issues encountered during sales tax audit
- What is a sales tax audit?
- Disagreeing with business audit conclusions
- Timeline to file Petition for Redetermination?
- What should Petition for Redetermination contain?
- Is the appeals conference formal or informal?
- Appeals Division’s Decision and Recommendation
- Are a mark-up percentage and a profit margin the same?
- Problems with the mark up audit
- Can State Board of Equalization ignore my business records
- What is a sales tax deficiency determination?
- Business being audited for sales tax. Should I be worried?
- Audit determined fraud to avoid sales and use tax
- Definition of “sale” for California Sales Tax
- What do California sellers need to know about sales tax?
- How do I apply for a sellers permit?
- What are my obligations as a permit holder?
- What is sales tax?
- What is tangible personal property?
- What is a sale?
- What are total gross receipts?
- What is use tax?
- Who is responsible for paying the use tax?
- Who is a retailer engaged in business in California?
- Who is a qualified purchaser?
- Do I need a Certificate of Registration Use tax?
- Do I need a Use Tax Direct Payment Permit?
- What types of sales are exempt from sales tax?
- How are Internet Transactions Taxed?
- How is California sales or use tax determined?
- What is the statewide sales and use tax rate?
- Are there other local and district sales and use taxes?
- Total sales and use tax rate calculation
- How to protect against successor liability in California
- Recourse when issued California sales tax liability notice
- CA Sales Tax liability extend to purchasers/successors?
- Waiting Until Audited to Take Action on Tax Matters
- Sales tax records needed in California
- What are California’s sales and use taxes?
- Why does the State of California audit businesses to ensure compliance with sales and use taxes? How does the State determine whether to audit my business?
- The BOE reviews the purchase invoices of my business