InsureTax for Brokers: stand out in SMB coverage

Yes, even if your tax return is 100% accurate and compliant, you can still be audited. The IRS conducts audits for several reasons beyond errors or misreporting, including:

• Random Selection: Some audits are triggered purely at random, regardless of accuracy.
• IRS Enforcement Priorities: The IRS actively audits businesses in certain industries or those claiming specific deductions and credits, such as the R&D Tax Credit or Employee Retention Credit (ERC).
• Comparative Analysis: The IRS uses algorithms to flag returns that significantly differ from similar businesses in the same industry.
• High Deduction-to-Income Ratios: Claiming higher-than-average deductions or losses compared to reported income can attract scrutiny.

Even a perfectly prepared return can still face an audit. IRS Audit Insurance ensures you are financially protected no matter why the IRS selects your return for review.

An IRS audit can cost a small business anywhere from $10,000 to over $100,000, depending on the complexity of the case. It can also take 30–100 hours of your time, disrupting operations. In more severe cases, if the dispute escalates to tax court, legal expenses can exceed $50,000–$100,000.

Here’s a breakdown of the typical financial and time impact of an audit:

• Defense Costs: Hiring a tax professional or attorney costs $200–$500 per hour, with total defense expenses ranging from $10,000 to $30,000.
• Tax Adjustments: If the IRS disallows deductions or credits, businesses may owe an average of $14,000–$18,000 per audited tax return in additional taxes.
• Penalties & Interest: The IRS may impose penalties of 20%–40% of the adjusted tax amount, plus interest, adding thousands more in costs.
• Escalation to Tax Court: If the dispute requires litigation, legal fees and court costs can exceed $50,000–$100,000.
• Disruption o Operations: The audit process can take 30–100 hours of business owner and CPA time, diverting resources from running the business.

IRS Audit Insurance ensures that these costs don’t become a financial setback, covering defense expenses, tax adjustments, penalties, and interest—per tax return, up to the policy limit.

While your CPA is responsible for preparing your tax return accurately, you as the business owner are legally and financially responsible for the information filed. Here’s why you might still need extra protection:

• Legal Responsibility: Even if your CPA makes an error, the IRS holds you accountable for your tax return. This means any mistakes can result in penalties, interest, or other costs that you have to pay.
   

• CPA's E&O Insurance Limitations: While your CPA may have Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance to cover their mistakes, that coverage is limited. It typically only addresses the cost of the mistake itself and doesn’t protect you from the full financial impact of an IRS audit.
   

• Additional Audit Costs: An IRS audit can bring additional expenses such as audit defense fees, tax adjustments, and more penalties. IRS Audit Insurance steps in to cover these extra costs. Sometimes, audits occur even if your tax return was prepared correctly. 

In essence, while your CPA plays a critical role in preparing your tax return, IRS Audit Insurance provides a crucial layer of protection that covers the broader financial risks associated with an audit. This ensures your business remains financially stable even if errors occur or an audit is triggered for other reasons.

IRS Audit Insurance protects small businesses from the financial burden of an IRS audit. It covers the costs associated with an audit, including bookkeeping, accounting, tax advisors, representation, and even litigation if it escalates to tax court.

Additionally, it safeguards against tax adjustments from genuine disputes, such as:

• Reclassification of independent contractors as employees 
• Disallowed business expenses
• IRS challenges to claimed deductions and credits

It also covers penalties and interest imposed by the IRS, ensuring businesses remain financially stable throughout the audit process.

IRS Audit Insurance only covers federal income tax audits conducted by the IRS. This includes:

• Correspondence Audits – IRS requests additional information by mail.
• Office Audits – In-person IRS review at a local IRS office.
• Field Audits – A more detailed IRS examination conducted at your place of business.

However, state tax audits, VAT, sales tax, payroll tax, and other non-federal audits are not covered. Coverage applies exclusively to IRS audits related to federal income tax filings and is subject to policy terms and exclusions.

Yes, due to the IRS 3-year statute of limitations to audit a return, our policy covers tax returns for the past 3 years by default. However, in cases where the IRS suspects a substantial omission (e.g., underreporting income by 25% or more), they may extend the audit review period up to 7 years.

For businesses that want full audit protection, we offer an option to extend coverage up to 7 years, ensuring financial security even in rare cases of prolonged IRS scrutiny.

Yes, IRS Audit Insurance does not cover every situation. Here are the key exclusions and limitations:

Exclusions (What’s Not Covered):

• Fraud or Intentional Misreporting: If the IRS determines you deliberately misreported income, claimed false deductions, or engaged in fraud, coverage will not apply.
• State Tax Audits: Our policy covers only IRS federal income tax audits—it does not cover state audits, VAT, sales tax, or payroll tax audits.
• Unfiled or Late Tax Returns: If you failed to file a tax return or filed it late, that return is not eligible for coverage.
• Pre-existing Audits: If you are already under audit before purchasing the policy, that audit will not be covered.

Limitations (How Coverage Works):

• Multi-Year Coverage: A single policy can cover multiple years—by default, it covers the last 3 years, with an option to extend up to 7 years.
• Coverage Applies Per Tax Return: Each covered tax year is treated independently—if multiple years are audited, coverage applies accordingly.
• Maximum Coverage Limit: Coverage is provided up to $250,000 per tax return, subject to policy terms.
• Deductible Applies: Payouts are made minus the deductible, which varies by policy.

IRS Audit Insurance is designed to protect legitimate businesses that follow IRS regulations, ensuring financial security for audits based on good-faith tax positions.

InsureTax offers coverage up to $250,000 per tax return, depending on your selected policy. The policy covers defense costs, tax adjustments, penalties, and interest, minus the deductible.

Coverage is structured as a single-hit policy, meaning it applies to a specific audit event rather than covering multiple audits under one policy.

Would you like any refinements before moving to the next question?

Our coverage is designed to protect business owners, self-employed professionals, and entrepreneurs who want financial security in the event of an IRS audit, and who work with top-tier tax professionals.

Eligibility is determined based on several factors, including:

• Business Structure and industry: Whether you operate as an LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp, or Sole Proprietorship. The specific sector your business operates in may also influence eligibility.
   
• Nature of Tax Filings: This includes aspects like claiming deductions, credits, or handling complex tax positions.
   
• CPA Quality Assurance: We partner with CPAs who meet the highest standards. As part of our underwriting process, your CPA will need to be pre-vetted by InsureTax to ensure that your tax return is prepared with exceptional accuracy and diligence.

If your business meets these criteria, you’re well-positioned to benefit from our comprehensive IRS Audit Insurance, ensuring robust protection when you need it most.

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The cost of IRS Audit Insurance depends on several factors, including:

• Your business size and revenue (eligibility up to $10M in revenue).
• Your industry and tax filing complexity (some industries face higher audit risks).
• The level of coverage selected (coverage limits vary based on your needs).

Policies start at $56 per month, with flexible plans tailored to your business’s specific risk profile. Get a personalized quote to see how affordable IRS Audit Insurance can be for your business.

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Purchasing IRS Audit Insurance is simple and fast, ensuring your business is protected without hassle.

How to Purchase:

1. Get a Quote: Answer a few questions about your business and tax filings.
2. Select Your Coverage: Choose your coverage amount and whether you want the default 3-year coverage or extend up to 7 years.
3. Pre-Vetted CPA Requirement: Your tax return must be prepared by a CPA who meets our standards to ensure eligibility.
4. Activate Your Policy: Once payment is completed, your coverage is active.

When Does Coverage Begin?

• For new tax returns: Coverage starts as soon as the policy is issued and applies to the tax year covered.
• For prior-year returns: Coverage applies retroactively, as long as the tax return was filed on time and is within the eligible coverage period (3 years by default, extendable to 7).
• Waiting Period: Some policies may have a short waiting period before coverage applies, depending on underwriting requirements.

With InsureTax, you can secure coverage quickly and efficiently, ensuring financial protection before an audit happens.

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If you receive an IRS audit notice, filing a claim with InsureTax is simple:

1. Notify Us Immediately – Contact InsureTax as soon as you receive an audit notice.
    
2. Use the Services You Need with Confidence – Hire your tax advisor, accountant, or legal representation knowing that your defense costs, tax adjustments, penalties, and interest are covered up to your policy limit.
    
3. Submit Invoices and Resolution – Once the audit is resolved, submit the necessary documentation, and we’ll reimburse you for covered costs minus the deductible, up to the policy limit.

With InsureTax, you have the financial confidence to defend your tax return properly without worrying about unexpected expenses.

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