Ohio Sales Tax Audit

Being notified and going through the procedure of a Ohio tax audit can be a daunting proposition. The process begins with your receipt of Notice of Intent to Audit Books and Records, from the Ohio Department of Taxation. The auditor will be looking for violations of Ohio tax law and whether additional taxes, along with penalties and interest, can be assessed against you. You should understand from the start that a Department of Revenue auditor’s job is NOT to help you accurately determine your tax liabilities. THE AUDITOR’S JOB IS TO FIND ADDITIONAL TAXES DUE. It is that simple. If the auditor can call into question an entry or record, then the auditor will do so – and usually project that one record across the entire 3 year audit period exponentially increasing your proposed Ohio tax assessment.

Particularly with a business, the ODOT will look for instances where your business has collected sales tax from customers but failed to remit all or part of these monies to the state. Collecting but not remitted Ohio taxes (think Sales Tax or Unemployment Tax) is one of the worst possible things a business owner can do with regard to Ohio taxes. If you consider penalties and interest to be painful, then you might be surprised to find out that collecting but not remitting Ohio taxes can land a business owner in jail. Under Ohio law, collecting but not remitting these “trust fund taxes” is considered stealing from the state and the business owner and employees can be charged with as high as a felony under certain circumstances.
Even if you feel you have been compliant, we strongly recommend that you do not represent yourself during as Ohio tax audit. The Ohio Department of Revenue auditors have many tricks up their sleeves that can limit your rights under Ohio law. It is vital to have a knowledgeable and experienced tax professional to assist you through all stages of the audit, from the initial notice through to its conclusion.

Ohio Tax Audit Protection

The ODOT will ask to either do a “Desk Audit” in one of their offices or a “Field Audit” at your place of business. You should consider saying “NO” to either request, or better yet – let us say no for you. Do not let an auditor into your business; make the auditor come to your tax professional’s office. We know how to “control” the audit, so the auditor does not go on a “fishing expedition” (looking for ways to accuse your business of under paying taxes). These are commonly the types of Ohio taxes that are audited, corporate income tax and others can come under ODOT review. All auditors request certain records and ask questions regarding your business and accounting methods. Often the auditor will ask for things that (s)he has no right to demand or will ask the taxpayer to sign documents that the taxpayer does not have to sign. We know the games the Ohio Department of Revenue auditors play and how to defend against them. With more than 5 decades of experience as attorneys and CPAs, our firm strives to assist you no matter the type of tax that is being audited.
The Ohio Department of Revenue auditor has the authority to assess additional taxes plus penalties and interest. They can also give your case over to the DOR criminal investigation division. Ohio Department of Revenue auditors may be highly trained in tax law, but they have been taught to constantly suspect you are underpaying tax and ways to prove it. Don’t you want your tax professional to have greater knowledge and experience than the auditors, who are coming to your business to LOOK for ways to accuse you business of underpaying Ohio tax.

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Ohio Sales Tax Audit