Audits: Dealing with the Agencies and Conducting Your Own

Why Should You Attend:

What do you do when the IRS contacts you? Panic, procrastination, belligerence and ignorance are big mistakes. This webinar delves into what to (and not to) do when you receive communication from the IRS and also what to do when doing business with other federal, state and local regulatory agencies and lawmaking bodies.

Handling notifications promptly and accurately for all agencies goes a long way to stemming off a full blown audit over what might be otherwise a simple misunderstanding or common error.

What if you are audited by the IRS or another government agency, how should you prepare for and deal with this type of audit? There are tips that can assist in preparing for that audit you know is coming. They start with preparation and end with cooperation. But in-between you will need to make sure you plan your audit out completely from your perspective so you can meet the audit head-on fully prepared.

The best way to avoid an external audit is by conducting an internal one first. By conducting a full audit of the department you can identify problem areas where compliance is an issue and deal with them before they become the topic of an IRS or Department of Labor audit or notice.

Areas Covered in the Webinar:

• How to determine what is—and is not—an IRS notice
• Step by step instructions on how to respond to an IRS notice
• Dos and don’ts of corresponding with the IRS or any government agency
• Tips on preparing for an audit
• Best practices for payroll departments to avoid audits
• How to beat them to it—strategies to conduct your own internal audit
• Learn the best practices for payroll departments to avoid audits
• Auditing for internal fraud: what to look out for including phantom employees and reverse deductions
• Auditing for Wage and Hour law compliance on both the federal and state level
• Auditing for tax law compliance on both the state and federal level
• What to audit for: sample lists to get you started on your own audit
• How to get management to buy into the idea of an “internal audit”
• What to do if a compliance issue does arise during an internal audit
• When to conduct the internal audit
• New areas of audits on the horizon

Who Will Benefit:

• Payroll Professionals
• Human Resources
• Accounting Personnel
• Business Owners
• Lawmakers
• Attorneys
• Any individual or entity that must deal with the complexities and technicalities within the payroll process

Vicki M. Lambert
Payroll Authority and Instructor, The Payroll Advisor

Vicki M. Lambert, CPP, is president and academic director of The Payroll Advisor™, a firm specializing in payroll education and training. The company’s website www.thepayrolladvisor.com offers a payroll news service which keeps payroll professionals up-to-date on the latest rules and regulations.

With over 35 years of hands-on experience in all facets of payroll functions as well as over 20 years as a trainer and author, Ms. Lambert has become the most sought-after and respected voice in the practice and management of payroll issues. She has conducted open market training seminars on payroll issues across the United States that have been attended by executives and professionals from some of the most prestigious firms in business today.

A pioneer in electronic and online education, Ms. Lambert produces and presents payroll related audio seminars, webinars and webcasts for clients, APA chapters and business groups throughout the country. Ms. Lambert is an adjunct faculty member at Brandman University in Southern California and is the creator of and instructor for their Practical Payroll Online program, which is approved for recertification hours by the APA. She is also the Program Developer, Subject Matter Expert (SME), and Facilitator for the Certificate in Payroll Practice and Management Program offered by Cengage Learning / Ed2Go through hundreds of colleges and universities across the country.

Topic Background:

The IRS takes a variety of steps to combat perceived employment tax non-compliance, with the upshot being significant criminal penalties and convictions resulting in incarceration, heavy fines, or usually both. Whether or not there is a violation, and many times there is not, all of those steps begin with written and oral communication to the entities involved. Proper courtesy goes a long way to make your experience easier but more than that is needed to ensure successful communication.

Remember it isn’t just the IRS that conducts employer audits. The federal Department of Labor as well as the state counterparts to the IRS and DOL also conduct audits to ensure compliance. Handling notifications promptly and accurately for all agencies goes a long way to stemming off a full blown audit over what might be otherwise a simple misunderstanding or common error.

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