Three-Year Accounting Review and Payroll Tax Resolution
A client approached Innovation with serious concerns about their financial records. Their current accountant had been unresponsive for over four months, leaving them uncertain about the state of their books and unable to get answers to critical questions.
Faced with this uncertainty and unable to trust their financial records, they requested a thorough review of the past three years of accounting to ensure everything was in order before making major business decisions.
What our initial assessment uncovered would change everything.
Over $45,000 in unpaid payroll taxes dating back to 2015 were discovered. This liability, if left unaddressed, could have resulted in significant penalties, interest, and potential legal consequences for the business owner.
Our comprehensive audit revealed a shocking array of issues that had accumulated over years of neglect and poor oversight. Each discovery compounded the complexity of the client's situation.
Numerous transactions were completely missing from the records, creating significant gaps in the financial trail and making accurate reporting impossible.
Sales were incorrectly entered throughout the records, leading to inaccurate revenue reporting and distorted financial statements.
Massive payroll tax liability dating back to 2015 that had never been addressed, creating significant penalty exposure with multiple tax authorities.
Expenses and equity were misallocated across accounts, distorting financial statements and hiding the true financial position of the business.
Incorrect asset and liability accounts were present, making the balance sheet unreliable for decision-making or lending purposes.
Chart of accounts was not tailored to the client's industry, making it difficult to generate meaningful industry-specific reports.
The issues spanned three years of records, affected multiple tax jurisdictions across seven states, and created liabilities that threatened the client's ability to sell their business. This wasn't just a bookkeeping problem—it was a potential business-ending crisis.
We developed a comprehensive resolution strategy that addressed every issue while working to minimize penalty exposure. Our approach combined meticulous record reconstruction with aggressive tax authority negotiation.
Completely renovated chart of accounts, ensuring industry-appropriate structure and eliminating financial misrepresentation.
Created new income accounts reflecting accurate revenue streams and established Cost of Sales accounts for proper gross profit reporting.
Negotiated with seven different state tax departments, successfully reducing penalties and late fees by over $25,000 through expert representation.
Identified and correctly entered all missing transactions, meticulously reviewed and corrected sales entries throughout the three-year period.
Correctly reclassified misallocated expenses and equity, ensuring financial statements accurately reflected the client's position.
Reviewed and adjusted erroneous asset and liability accounts to align with actual financial situation for accurate balance sheet reporting.
Through expert negotiation with seven state tax departments
Through Innovation's comprehensive review and clean-up process, the client's books were brought up to date and significant financial risks were mitigated. The work positioned the company for a successful sale.
The client became a monthly bookkeeping client for three years following the resolution
Clean books and resolved liabilities made the business sale possible
Through expert negotiation with tax authorities across seven states
All tax liabilities resolved and books brought up to date
This case demonstrates the critical importance of proactive financial oversight. The client's situation started with an unresponsive accountant and could have escalated into a business-ending crisis without intervention.
Through Innovation's expertise, what began as a potential disaster became an opportunity to build clean, compliant records that ultimately made the business sale possible.
The client was so satisfied with our work that they maintained their monthly bookkeeping relationship with Innovation for three years, ensuring their books remained accurate and compliant until the successful sale of their business.
Our Custom Projects and Compliance Services can help you resolve complex financial challenges and save thousands in penalties.
Don't let tax or compliance issues threaten your business. Book a free strategy session with our team to discuss your situation.