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Sales Tax Audit Help

CPA Defense You Can Afford

Facing a Department of Revenue (FDOR) sales tax audit?

Get a complete diagnosis, defense plan, and contingency quote from an experienced CPA who has saved Florida and Massachusetts businesses thousands in unnecessary tax assessments.

I Only Get Paid If We Win!

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Only Pay When We Reduce Your State Sales Tax Assessment
CPA REPRESENTATION BEFORE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE

Urgent Steps After Receiving a State Sales Tax Audit Notice

If you’ve received a State Sales Tax audit notice, time and precision matter — every response can save (or cost) thousands

If you received a Notice of Intent to Audit from the State Department of Revenue, you’re under pressure to respond fast and get professional help. The letter may look routine, but every word counts — and how you respond now can mean the difference between a small adjustment and a crushing assessment.

This is what I do every day. I help business owners like you get through the stress of a sales tax audit, protect your records, and fight unfair findings. And you don’t have to commit thousands upfront.

I represent clients facing Florida Department of Revenue (FDOR) sales and use tax audits as well as Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) sales and meals tax audits, and under current CPA mobility rules, I can assist businesses in nearly every state. Whether your audit involves a Florida DR-840 notice, a Massachusetts Form ST-5, or an out-of-state nexus review, I handle the full process — from the first letter through assessment, protest, and settlement. Many of my clients operate in multiple states or sell across state lines, so I ensure that your audit defense and compliance strategy align with both Florida’s and Massachusetts’s specific statutes, administrative rules, and audit methodologies.

cONTINGENCY FEES – PAY ONLY WHEN WE WIN

Urgent Steps After Receiving a State Sales Tax Audit Notice

Get immediate audit defense from a CPA who defends small businesses from the DOR every week — for a low $500 diagnostic and a contingency quote you control.

For $500, I’ll perform a full diagnosis of your case, review your letter and records, and deliver a custom audit defense strategy — complete with sampling analysis, exposure estimate, and a written plan.

I will then quote you a contingency-based representation fee, so you only pay a success percentage if I reduce your assessment. You can hire me to execute it — or take the plan and do it yourself.

Best of all, your $500 goes straight toward the contingency fee if you continue.

01.

What Happens in a State Sales Tax Audit

Florida audits are serious, but they’re not random. The FDOR wants to verify that you collected and paid the right amount of sales and use tax — and they often assume you didn’t.

The Process:

1. DR-840 Notice Arrives – Official notice of audit intent.
2. Opening Call or Meeting – Auditor requests your books, POS reports, and bank data.
3. Sampling Phase – They select months or quarters and project results for the full period.
4. Preliminary Findings – Early results that usually overstate liability.
5. Assessment or Protest – Final amount due — unless you fight it.

My job: challenge their assumptions, narrow their sampling, and document what’s really taxable versus what’s not.

See if you Qualify
Edward Parsons
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Edward Parsons
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02.

Why Businesses Get Audited in Florida

The FDOR targets industries with frequent reporting gaps and cash flow complexity.

Common High-Risk Industries
Restaurants & Bars – POS configuration errors, tips, delivery fees.:
Retail & Smoke Shops – Missing resale certificates, bundled products, mis-taxed items.
Construction Contractors – Labor vs. materials, subcontractor documentation, exempt projects.
E-Commerce & Remote Sellers – Marketplace nexus, shipping, and fulfillment misclassifications.

In Miami-Dade and Broward, audit frequency for these industries has tripled since 2021 – As of October 2025.

If you’re in one of these categories, there’s a good chance your audit selection wasn’t random — it was algorithmic.

Edward Parsons
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03.

What You Get for $500

Complete Audit Diagnosis – I’ll read your DR-840, outline scope, and spot early red flags.
Exposure Analysis – Identify under- or over-collected tax by period and category.
Sampling Review – Verify fairness of sample periods; recommend adjustments.
Defense Strategy – Step-by-step plan to respond, control data release, and position for abatement.
Contingency Quote – Pay a percentage of savings — not a fixed retainer — if you want me to execute the plan.

You walk away with a roadmap you can use — whether you continue with me or not.

Best of all, the $500 counts toward your contingency fee when we win your case

Edward Parsons
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04.

How Your State DOR Calculates Assessments (and How We Fight Back)

Auditors often rely on sampling — they examine a few months of transactions and then project “error ratios” over the entire period. It’s fast for them, but dangerous for you. A few wrong invoices or missing certificates can balloon into tens of thousands in tax due.

Common Overstatements

– Sampling from seasonal months or promotions.
– Double-counting of cash vs. credit card sales.
– Ignoring POS corrections or refunds.
– Misclassifying exempt services as taxable sales.
– Treating labor-only invoices as taxable materials.

I re-test the state’s sample, document where projections break down, and show statistical bias — in plain numbers auditors understand. Many times, we can cut the proposed liability by 30–60% just by recalculating sampling logic.

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SALES TAX AUDIT EXPERIENCE ACCROSS MANY INDUSTRIES AND CLIENTS

Urgent Steps After Receiving a State Sales Tax Audit Notice

From high-stakes IRS collections to complex Florida Department of Revenue sales tax audits, I’ve spent decades protecting businesses that suddenly find themselves under scrutiny. I bring a rare combination of CPA precision, tax law depth, and negotiation skill that most large firms simply can’t deliver under one roof.

When you work with me, you’re not routed through assistants or junior staff. You deal directly with the CPA who will read your audit letter line by line, build your defense personally, and negotiate every finding with the state. My approach is hands-on and relentless: I don’t just file responses — I craft strategies that shift the balance of power back in your favor.

Clients often come to me after feeling ignored or overcharged elsewhere. What they discover is a smaller, focused practice built for real results — where communication is fast, advice is clear, and every move is calculated to save you money and peace of mind.

My job isn’t only to defend you from the audit — it’s to leave you stronger, more organized, and fully equipped to avoid the same traps in the future. Every engagement is a partnership: we fight together, we win together, and you only pay when we do.

Limit the Scope

The first rule in any Florida sales tax audit is to take control of the conversation early. I contact the FDOR immediately, confirm exactly what they’re requesting, and establish clear boundaries for what data is shared. Many businesses hand over years of unnecessary records, giving auditors material they were never entitled to review. I make sure that doesn’t happen. We formally acknowledge the audit, define the scope, and document every exchange — so the process stays contained, efficient, and fair.

Fix the sampling

Auditors love shortcuts, and sampling is their favorite. But one bad month doesn’t represent your business. I challenge every unrepresentative sample period, point out seasonal swings, and verify that any “error ratio” is statistically valid. If they’ve pulled a slow month, a hurricane month, or a COVID closure, I’ll make sure it’s thrown out. My goal is to ensure their math reflects reality, not assumptions — because a biased sample can turn a $3,000 issue into a $30,000 assessment.

Reconstruct the Records

When documentation is incomplete, auditors fill in the blanks — often in the state’s favor. I rebuild your records with precision: reconciling point-of-sale summaries, bank deposits, and sales tax returns until they tie together cleanly. Every gap gets explained, every discrepancy documented. If your records were handled by multiple bookkeepers or systems, I’ll organize them into a defensible format that shows consistency and good faith. A clear, well-labeled file can cut audit time in half and credibility issues to zero.

Prove the Exemptions

Exempt sales and resale certificates are one of the biggest points of contention. FDOR agents often disallow them for minor clerical issues or expired forms. I track down missing certificates, validate their authenticity, and build a backup archive with timestamps and purchaser details. If the documentation exists anywhere — I’ll find it and make it count. We turn questionable exemptions into solid evidence, drastically reducing taxable sales and often eliminating entire portions of the audit.

Argue Reasonable Cause

Florida law allows penalty abatement when a taxpayer acted in good faith or had reasonable cause for an error. I draft penalty relief requests that actually work — not canned letters. Whether it was a software misconfiguration, a natural disaster, a bookkeeper transition, or an unclear FDOR interpretation, I show the auditor exactly why a penalty doesn’t fit the facts. It’s about credibility: when they see that you’ve corrected the issue and documented compliance going forward, they’re far more likely to waive the penalties.

Negotiate the Settlement –

By the time we reach the proposed assessment, most of the heavy lifting is done. I negotiate using evidence, not emotion. Every projection, every adjustment, every credit is backed by documentation. The FDOR knows when they’re dealing with someone who can argue the numbers. My goal is always the same: reach the lowest sustainable liability possible, ideally through correction and abatement — not just compromise.

Result: A faster, less expensive audit

A sales tax audit doesn’t have to end in penalties and sleepless nights. When handled correctly, it can actually become a turning point — a chance to correct the record, regain confidence, and prove your business runs clean.

My approach brings structure and calm to a process designed to overwhelm.
The outcome? A faster, less expensive audit, supported by a clear, defensible paper trail that shows the FDOR exactly where their numbers went wrong. Most clients see a dramatic reduction or full withdrawal of the proposed assessment because every finding is challenged and every exemption validated.

But the real win goes beyond the refund or reduction. You leave with organized, audit-ready records, a custom compliance checklist, and a renewed understanding of how to prevent this from happening again. The fear that started with a DR-840 letter is replaced with clarity and control.

When the state closes the file, you’re not just done — you’re stronger. Your systems are cleaner, your documentation airtight, and your confidence restored. You know that if another letter ever arrives, you’ll be ready — and this time, it won’t feel like a crisis.

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Call Me Now To Discuss Your Case

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Edward Parsons, CPA — IRS tax resolution specialist in Miami | Experto en resolución de impuestos del IRS en Miami
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