Most accountants learned tax from a textbook. I learned it from the other side of the IRS.

I spent years inside the IRS as a Revenue Agent. I conducted audits, requested documentation, and found exactly where small business owners were exposed. I left to build the firm I wish they'd had access to.

Check if this is a fit

Your bookkeeper doesn't talk to your tax preparer. Your tax preparer shows up in March. And nobody's watching your position the rest of the year.

Vendors who don't coordinate mean categorization decisions that affects your return get made without tax context. Estimated payments stay wrong because no one owns the year-round picture. You find out where you stand at filing - not before.

That gap isn't just inconvenient. It's expensive. In positions you didn't take, deductions you couldn't define, and year-end surprises you weren't prepared for.

Here's what's different about working with a former IRS Revenue Agent:

Most tax professionals have never been inside an IRS examination. Those who have often just go along with what the examiner says. I spent years conducting examine in the Small Business/Self-Employed division, including special enforcement cases.

I know where small business owners are exposed because I spent years auditing them. That's not something you learn from a textbook. It's built into every engagement here.

Who you're working with:

I'm Lauren Twitchell, EA. Before building Zero Fluff Books, I spent years inside the IRS as a Revenue Agent in the Small Business/Self-Employed division, including working special enforcement cases. I wasn't reviewing returns from the outside. I was the one conducting examinations, requesting documentation, and identifying exactly where small business owners were exposed.

That experience doesn't come from a textbook. I've sat across the table from business owners during examinations. I know how examiners thing, what they look for, and where undocumented positions fall apart under scrutiny. I left the IRS to build the kind of firm I never saw available to small business owners: one that keeps your federal compliance defensible before there's ever a problem.

Credentials: Enrolled Agent (EA), admitted to practice before the IRS at all levels, including audits, appeals, and collections. QuickBooks and Xero certified. Federal PTIN and EFIN holder.

This is not a general accounting practice. Federal tax compliance and advisory is our focus. That specialization is intentional.

This is the right fit if you are:

An established small business owner operating through an S-corporation, partnership, single-member LLC, or C-Corporation
Generating between $300k and $10M in annual gross receipts
Currently managing bookkeeping and tax preparation through separate vendors with no coordination between them
Tired of being surprised at tax time because no one watched your position during the year
Ready for one point of contact who understands your full financial picture and keeps your federal compliance clean year-round

What's included

Everything your federal compliance function needs, coordinated under one engagement.

Transaction categorization and coding
Bank and credit account reconciliation
Chart of accounts maintenance
Month-end close and ledger review
Ongoing communication on coding questions and classification decisions

Maintained in QuickBooks Online, Xero, or Firm in-house software. Bill pay, invoicing, accounts receivable management, cash handling, and payroll processing are excluded and remain with the client.

Business entity return (Form 1120-S, 1065, 1120, or Schedule C as applicable
Up to two individual federal returns (Form 1040)
Coordination of business activity, flow-through income, and owner-level federal tax position
Estimated tax review and safe harbor analysis prior to filing
Electronic filing upon client approval

Additional entity returns beyond the primary business entity are outside this scope and priced separately.

Entity-level structural analysis and compliance risk identification
QBI optimization and deduction posture review
Reasonable compensation considerations (S-corporations, where applicable)
Estimated tax alignment and safe harbor monitoring
Flow-through income coordination and owner-level federal tax positioning
Year-end tax exposure review and posture planning
Technical research on federal questions as they arise
Written advisory summaries where appropriate
IRS notice review and advisory guidance (representation billed separately if needed)

Not included in this retainer:

Bill pay, invoicing, and accounts receivable management
Payroll processing and payroll tax filings
Sales tax compliance and filing (available as a separate engagement)
Addition business entity returns beyond the primary entity
Additional personal returns beyond the primary entity
Audited, reviewed, or compiled financial statements
IRS representation and direct communication with tax authorities (available as a separate engagement)
Securities, investment, or financial planning advice

What it costs

This is a flat monthly fee — no hourly billing, no surprise invoices, no nickel-and-diming. Your rate is based on complexity and confirmed before you commit to anything. Most clients find the cost of fragmented vendors exceeds this once they add it up.

ANNUAL RETAINER - FLAT MONTHLY FEE

STARTING RATE

$1,800 / MONTH

HIGHER COMPLEXITY

$2,200+ / MONTH

12-month agreement

Billed monthly in advance

Mid-year enrollment pro-rated

Complexity factors include: transaction volume, number of bank and credit card accounts, entity structure, prior-year book condition, number of personal returns, and investment or trading activity. Your rate is confirmed during a discovery call before any commitment.

Let's see if this is a fit

Tell us what you're working with. Most inquiries receive a response within one business day. If your situation falls outside our scope, we'll tell you that directly.

Let's see if this is a fit

This inquiry does not create an engagement or advisor-client relationship. Zero Fluff Books LLC will review your submission and follow up directly.