Small Business IRS Problems: Size Doesn't Equal Safety
The IRS doesn't have a 'small business discount.' They pursue a two-person LLC the same way they pursue a Fortune 500 company. Payroll tax problems. Unfiled returns. Employment tax audits. If you own a business with IRS issues, you need someone who fights back.
Payroll Tax — The Big One
This is where small businesses get destroyed. Fall behind on payroll taxes and the IRS comes after you personally with the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty. I defend business owners against these assessments every week.
Entity-Level Problems
S-corps with late-filed returns face $220 per shareholder per month penalties. Partnerships face similar per-partner penalties. These penalties add up fast and are often abatable. I handle entity-level penalty abatement regularly.
Worker Classification Audits
The IRS questions whether your contractors should have been classified as employees. A reclassification triggers back employment taxes, penalties, and interest. The financial impact can be devastating. I defend these audits.
Keeping the Business Alive
My goal is resolution, not liquidation. I negotiate payment arrangements that let you keep operating while satisfying the IRS. Closing your business doesn't pay the tax debt. Running it profitably does.