McDonald Hopkins LLC

Audit Defense 

• Outsource
• Negotiation
• Resolution
• Support

Represent the client to achieve maximum reduction in audit assessments by working directly from government tax agents and using audit best practices, including up-front sample period negotiation, detailed review and analysis of agent findings and error ratios, legal research, negotiation of issues, and filing protests and appeals, as necessary.

Sales, use, gross receipts, income, franchise, real property, personal property, unclaimed property

Managed or Participatory Audits

Perform the audit for a client (after receiving a notice of audit or proactively approaching the government) rather than the government tax agents in states that provide for managed or participatory audits. Benefits provided typically include penalty waiver, significant interest waiver and control of the audit process by McDonald Hopkins.

Sales, use, gross receipts in those states that provide for these types of audits

Tax Appeals

Represent the client in the appeal of tax assessments or denied refund claims from tax administrative appeals through the state and U.S. Supreme Court, as necessary.

Sales, use, gross receipts, income, franchise, real property, personal property, unclaimed property

High Net-Worth Individual-Audit Defense and Appeals

Defend against income tax audits and assessments related to various types of deferred compensation, stock options, or changes in tax domicile. Includes working with tax officials to negotiate settlements or litigation of assessments to any level of appeal.

Personal income tax - state and local

High Risk Controversy

Assist clients in developing their legal positions and pursuing favorable settlement of certain high-risk audit positions and tax assessments when litigation risks and costs are high

Any tax type that has been assessed or has been proposed for assessment

Tax Types

Provide a "reverse" tax audit service designed primarily to identify refund and over-payment opportunities, secondarily to identify areas of significant risk.

Sales, use, gross receipts, income, franchise, real property, personal property, unclaimed property

Conduct a proactive analysis of a client's Ohio Commercial Activity Tax (CAT) payments and filings to determine optimal filing positions, identify potential refunds, and mitigate future exposure.

Ohio Commercial Activity Tax

Multistate Nexus Review

Analyze a client's activities to determine those states in which the client has filing requirements (i.e. nexus) and an estimated tax risk computation.

Sales, use, gross receipts, income, franchise

Voluntary Disclosure

Negotiate with state and local jurisdictions to mitigate historical tax obligations for a client that has failed to file for various taxes where an obligation exists.

Benefits typically include penalty waiver and limited loo-back periods.

Sales, use, gross receipts, income, franchise, real property, personal property, unclaimed property

Due Diligence

Analyze a target's tax audit exposure and potential successor liability issues relating to the client's purchase of target.

Sales, use, gross receipts, income, franchise, real property, personal property, unclaimed property

In-House Training

Design and deliver a customized sales and use tax training program specific to the client's industry and work environment. The client benefits by avoiding tax over-payments and unexpected tax liabilities in the future.

Sales, use

Tax Compliance Matrix

Research and complete an easy-to-use determination tool for use in tax compliance by the client's accounting, and/or tax personnel.

Provides management with the necessary back-up for more in-depth analysis when necessary and allows for efficient updating for future law/regulatory changes.

Sales, use, gross receipts, income, franchise

Service

Description

Tax Types

Tax Policy Advocacy

Draft legislation language and lobby state and local officials to enact legislation that protects the interests of our client, promotes a more positive tax environment, or clarifies applicability of existing tax laws.

All taxes

Industry Tax Impact Analysis

Develop a white paper analysis related to current or proposed tax laws which apply to an industry for consideration by government policy makers.

All taxes

Association Tax Counsel

Operate as "special tax counsel" for a business association, which includes monitoring and analyzing state legislative and tax developments.

All taxes