Got an IRS Letter? What Business Owners Should Do
Getting an IRS letter as a business owner triggers immediate stress – but most notices are manageable when you know how to read them and respond correctly. Every IRS notice carries a CP or LTR code in the upper right corner that tells you exactly what the agency wants, whether that is a missing return, a balance due, a discrepancy in reported income, or a more urgent collection warning. The biggest mistake business owners make is ignoring the notice and hoping it goes away – it never does, and the consequences compound quickly. This post walks through a clear six-step response process: identify the notice code, note the deadline, gather supporting tax records, determine whether you agree or disagree with the IRS finding, respond in writing via certified mail, and track your case until resolved. A comparison of notice types – from simple CP14 balance due notices to serious LT11 levy warnings – helps readers quickly gauge the urgency of their situation. The post also covers when handling a notice independently makes sense versus when bringing in a CPA is the smarter move, particularly for CP2000 underreporter notices, audits, or multi-year issues. Indianapolis business owners will find specific guidance on common mistakes, required documents to gather before responding, and what 2025 IRS enforcement activity means for response timelines. On-Target CPA, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, helps business owners navigate IRS correspondence with a structured, documented approach that protects their interests from the first response forward.
Succession Planning Change for Business Owners
Learn how succession planning for business owners can help protect company value, prepare for ownership changes, and create a stronger path forward. By Michael Jamison, CPA, CGMA For years, I have had the same frustrating conversation around how succession planning for business owners is important. Owners spend decades building a company. They created jobs. They developed leaders. They built a culture that mattered. When the time came to think about succession, their first choice was […]
