Audit Settlement Services

After a business has been audited and receives Texas Notification of Audit Results for state taxes, penalties, and interest, most have 30 days to pay (20 days if the Notification is a Jeopardy Determination) or request Redetermination. A settlement negotiation works to position your business with the best settlement possible.

What to Expect

Your Texas Tax Group (TTG) state tax expert will work to:

• Facilitate payment options, including arranging for a payout agreement if warranted.
• Negotiate for waiver penalties and interest
• Offer additional options if charged with fraud

If TTG and the client agree with the assessment but funds are not immediately available, you can apply for a 24 to 48-month interest-free payment plan, which is often obtained. In some instances, TTG attempts to have specific penalties waived in exchange for a lump-sum payment of the audit liability. Attending an administrative hearing is rarely necessary to obtain settlement action. Instead, most TTG settlements are typically resolved when one of the following is issued:

• Settlement and compromise agreement
• Motion to dismiss granted by the assigned hearings attorney

At TTG, our above-average pre-hearing settlement rate occurs mainly because we know and understand the agency’s unwritten policies related to settlement negotiations.

To begin the process, you must first apply for and obtain approval for an administrative hearing. Margie Merwin, Texas Tax Group’s settlement coordinator, will negotiate the best settlement option based on the audit liability and your ability to pay it. Unfortunately, the settlement process is a lengthy administrative hearing that costs both you and the agency time and money. For this reason, it’s in everyone’s best interest to agree on a settlement – if that’s what you prefer. If the case proceeds further due to unresolved differences, our director of administrative hearings, Jeff Jansen, is prepared to take the case to trial.

Why Texas Tax Group

TTG is comprised of a team of 20+ former Texas Comptroller State Tax Auditors, Supervisors, and Tax Policy Experts with over 400 combined years of work experience with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

• TTG has represented over 2,000 clients in areas of sales tax audit defense and research
• TTG’s consultants performed over 5,000 tax audits while employed as Texas Comptroller auditors
• TTG’s Policy Experts wrote over 5,000 private letter tax rulings while employed with the Comptroller
• TTG currently represents over 290 businesses under audit by the Comptroller’s office
• TTG has offices located in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin