Most taxpayers think of an IRS audit as a contained event: One tax year One return One defined issue In practice, that’s rarely how audits unfold. Under  IRM 4.10 , examinations are designed to be  issue-focused , but they are also designed to follow facts wherever they reasonably lead. Once an issue is identified and developed, the IRS is obligated to apply the law  consistently , even when that means expanding the audit. Understanding  how  and  why  audits expand—both  wit

When taxpayers talk about “red flags,” the conversation usually drifts into myths fast. You’ll hear things like: “Big refunds get you audited.” “Too many deductions trigger the IRS.” “If you’re small enough, they won’t bother.” “This write-off is a red flag.” That’s not how audits actually work. When I audited tax returns, we didn’t hunt for vibes, lifestyle clues, or moral judgments. We followed  structured examination procedures , primarily laid out in  IRM 4.10 , which gov

Few tax topics cause more confusion—and more bad advice—than business expenses. You’ve probably heard things like: “If you have an LLC, you can write everything off.” “As long as it helps your business somehow, it counts.” “Everyone deducts this.” “Just call it marketing.” None of those are IRS rules. From the IRS’s perspective, business expenses aren’t about creativity or intent. They’re about  definition, consistency, and documentation . Most problems don’t come from people

If you’re self-employed, chances are you’ve had this moment: You file your tax return. You see the tax bill. You think,  “There’s no way this is right.” It usually is. Self-employment taxes aren’t mysterious—but they are widely misunderstood. Most stress around them doesn’t come from the amount itself. It comes from  not knowing what you’re paying, why you’re paying it, or how to plan for it . This guide explains self-employment taxes in plain English: What they actually ar

Tax season has a way of making otherwise rational people spiral. Even taxpayers who’ve filed for years suddenly second-guess everything: Did I miss something? What if I did this wrong? What if the IRS flags me? Should I rush and just get it over with? Here’s the reality I want you to understand — grounded in how the IRS actually works: Tax season panic almost never aligns with IRS risk. I didn’t see tax returns in real time. I didn’t see people rushing to file. I didn’t see t

January is a quiet month for taxes—and that’s exactly why it matters. There are no filing deadlines breathing down your neck yet. Forms are still arriving. The IRS isn’t actively chasing most people. And because of that, January is when many taxpayers do… nothing. That’s a mistake. From inside the IRS, January is where a lot of future tax problems quietly start—not because people are doing anything wrong, but because they delay simple, foundational steps that make the rest of

Tax preparation doesn’t have to feel overwhelming, rushed, or mysterious.At Zero Fluff Books, we approach federal tax preparation the same way we approach bookkeeping: organized, documented, and explained clearly — without fear-based messaging or last-minute panic. This post walks through what our federal tax preparation services look like, who they’re for, and how the process works, so you know exactly what to expect before you ever book a call. Who Our Tax Preparation Serv

Every December, the internet explodes with tax advice. “Write everything off!” “Buy a truck!” “Open an LLC tonight!” “Spend money to save taxes!” Most of that advice is either  misleading, incomplete, or flat-out wrong . Here’s the reality, grounded in IRS rules and how returns are actually reviewed: By December 31, only certain tax moves still matter—and only if they’re done correctly. This post walks through: What legitimately counts before midnight What does  not  work (de

Few things create instant dread like opening mail from the IRS and seeing the words  “Balance Due.” Your mind jumps straight to worst-case scenarios: Did I do something wrong? Is this an audit? Am I about to get penalties or liens? Why do they say I owe when I already filed? Here’s the truth, grounded in how the IRS actually works under the  Internal Revenue Manual (IRM) : IRS balance due letters are not punishments. They are accounting notices. They exist because the IRS’s s

Getting a letter from the IRS is unsettling. Getting  IRS Notice 5071C  is worse—because it feels personal. The letter tells you the IRS needs to  verify your identity  before it can process your tax return. For many taxpayers, that immediately triggers panic: Did someone steal my identity? Did I mess something up? Am I being audited? Is my refund gone? Let’s slow this down and translate what’s actually happening—based on the  publicly available Internal Revenue Manual (IRM)

If you’ve received a  math error notice  from the IRS, you’re probably feeling two conflicting things at once: Relief that it’s “just a math error” Anxiety because… it’s still the IRS Both reactions make sense. Here’s the truth, straight from how the IRS actually operates under the  Internal Revenue Manual (IRM) : A math error notice is not an audit. But it is not optional. Math error notices are one of the most common IRS letters sent every year, and they are almost entirely

If you’ve received  IRS Letter 2205 , your heart probably dropped. This isn’t a generic notice. This isn’t a math error letter. This isn’t a “just confirm something online” situation. Letter 2205 means the IRS has opened a field examination. I know this letter well—because I sent it. As a former IRS Revenue Agent, Letter 2205 was the formal way I told taxpayers:  your return has been selected for examination, and I will be reviewing it. That sounds scary. But here’s the part

Few things spike anxiety faster than an envelope from the IRS. Your heart rate jumps. Your stomach drops. Your brain immediately goes to worst-case scenarios: audits, penalties, frozen accounts. Here’s the truth—straight from how the IRS actually operates: Most IRS notices are not audits. Most are not accusations. And most are fixable. They are part of a highly procedural, automated system outlined in the  publicly available Internal Revenue Manual (IRM) . When you understand

Every year, tax season shows up like it owns the place. And every year, the internet does the same thing: screams about “massive changes,” “new rules,” and “big refunds,” while most taxpayers are still trying to find their W-2. So let’s cut through the noise. Tax Season 2026  means you’re filing your  2025  federal return (generally due April 15, 2026). A few things  did  change. A lot stayed the same. And only a handful of updates actually matter for real people—especially s

January feels deceptively quiet. The holidays are over. Tax season hasn’t fully hit yet. Forms haven’t all arrived. There’s a sense that you have time—that you’ll deal with taxes “later.” From the inside of the IRS, January is where many tax problems quietly begin. Not because people are doing anything malicious—but because they make small, avoidable mistakes early in the year that snowball by March or April. This post walks through  the most common January tax mistakes , why

Tax season stress rarely comes from the tax return itself. It comes from scrambling. Scrambling to find receipts. Scrambling to remember what that transfer was for. Scrambling because you  know  the numbers aren’t quite right—but you’re hoping they’ll “work out.” After years of working inside the IRS, here’s what I can tell you with certainty: Tax season is only stressful when your records aren’t ready. The IRS doesn’t expect perfection. But it  does  expect documentation. An

Most people imagine the IRS as a giant room full of agents hunched over tax returns, red pens in hand, scrutinizing every line. That image couldn’t be further from reality. In truth,  the vast majority of tax returns are never “looked at” by a human at all —at least not at first. They move through a highly structured, rule-based system governed by the Internal Revenue Manual (IRM), which is publicly available and outlines exactly how returns are received, processed, reviewed,

For four years, I worked inside the IRS. Not as a phone rep. Not as a temp. Not as someone reading from a script. I was a Revenue Agent. The person on the other side of the audit letter. The person reviewing bank statements, returns, receipts, and explanations. The person trained to follow the Internal Revenue Manual, apply federal tax law, and determine whether a return was correct—or not. And here’s the truth most people don’t expect to hear: The IRS is not nearly as myster

Audit After Hours: A Zero Fluff Books Mini-Series When Charm Covers the Truth Some audits start off so smooth that you almost exhale with relief. A friendly taxpayer. Quick replies. Organized documents. A professional tone. All the things that make an agent think, “This one might actually be easy.” Episode 3 of Audit After Hours is the story of one such audit — a Schedule C tax preparer whose cheerful cooperation hid something bigger, stranger, and far more concerning than I

Winter might be your slowest season—but it’s the smartest time to get your books in order. While most food vendors are taking a break from festivals and farmers markets, I’m helping them do something even more valuable: turn their downtime into  financial confidence. If your bookkeeping fell behind this year (and you’re not alone), this is your sign to catch up before the spring rush hits. Here’s what our  Cleanup Packages  include—and why they’re the easiest way to start ne