Tax audits are all about being prepared before you receive the audit notice. You must have the right systems, processes, people, and documentation in place for the period under review before the audit starts as you cannot go back in time to put these items in place. Tax departments are thinly-staffed and cannot invest their time in tracking down documentation when they should be focusing on more value-added tasks such as planning. Employing the perspective of an ex-state auditor is a wise investment that can save a lot of time, effort and frustration further down the road.

Keep good records.