Your tax return has been audited, and you're reasonably certain that the IRS is (mostly) wrong. While your inclination might be to take your winning case directly to the Tax Court, there are very good reasons why you should submit a reasonable offer to settle the case before you file your petition starting the litigation.
According to the IRS' own rules, if you make an offer to settle the case administratively (i.e., with the IRS Appeals Division) that is "qualified", and the IRS rejects the offer and you subsequently succeed in the Tax Court, you may be able to recover the costs you incurred in connection with your attempts to administratively resolve the case.
So, what’s a Qualified Offer? One that is:
- Made at least 30 days before the case goes to trial in Tax Court;
- Specifies an amount of liability that you are willing to accept and pay;
- Designated by you specifically as a Qualified Offer; and…
- Not withdrawn (by you) before:
- The IRS rejects the offer,
- The trial begins, or
- 90 days go by after the offer is first submitted to the IRS,
Given the high representation expenses typically incurred when dealing with the IRS Appeals Division (and simultaneously preparing for likely litigation), that is a potentially massive amount of money you can save if you are successful in court after submitting the Qualified Offer. And, there really is not a downside, other than the time and effort it takes to make certain you comply with the requirements.
Details Added by Tax Court
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