FLORIDA SALES TAX AUDIT HELP
Florida sales tax audit help: clear answers for your DR-840 notice.
Henriquez Accounting & Tax Services LLC helps Florida business owners prepare for sales and use tax audits, review proposed assessments, and navigate administrative resolution options.
Based in Zephyrhills. Service in English and Spanish, with secure remote document sharing.
Schedule an Audit ConsultationTable of Contents
What is Form DR-840?
Form DR-840 is Florida's Notice of Intent to Audit Books and Records. It identifies the taxes and periods selected for review. Receiving the notice does not, by itself, establish that you owe the amount an audit may later propose.
The notice generally begins a 60-day pre-audit period. Signing a waiver can allow the audit to begin sooner. Review the notice and any waiver carefully before signing, and gather the records requested. To discuss confidential audit information through a representative, the Department requires the appropriate authorization, generally Form DR-835.
Florida sales tax audit services built around your records
- Notice and deadline review: Identify the audit periods, information requests, current stage, and response dates.
- Bookkeeping and sales reconciliation: Compare sales reports, bank deposits, merchant statements, invoices, refunds, and filed sales tax returns. Identify differences that need supporting explanations.
- Transaction documentation: Organize available exemption and resale certificates and other records supporting the treatment of disputed transactions.
- Assessment review: Examine audit schedules and calculations, identify potential duplicate entries or factual discrepancies, and prepare documented responses.
- Department correspondence: Assist with authorized communications, document submissions, and administrative conferences within the agreed engagement.
- Resolution support: Evaluate supported adjustment and relief requests, explain proposed closing agreements, and assist with payment-plan or hardship requests when a balance remains.
From assessment review to a practical next step
Our recent Florida sales tax audit representation work has included reviewing an assessment, organizing supporting documentation, presenting disputed factual issues, communicating with the Department's administrative review staff, and helping a business owner understand a negotiated closing agreement. The next phase included requesting a payment arrangement based on the client's financial circumstances.
That experience informs our approach: review the records, explain the issues clearly, document the response, and keep the client informed. A signed closing agreement and an approved payment plan are separate steps; requesting a plan does not mean it has been approved.
Every case is different. We do not guarantee a reduction in tax, penalties, or interest, or approval of a payment plan. Interest and other applicable charges may continue while a balance remains unpaid. We confirm the scope and fee before work begins; fees depend on the records, periods, complexity, and stage of the matter.
What to bring to your consultation
Bring the complete DR-840 or other Department notice, audit schedules and correspondence already received, sales tax returns for the relevant periods, and the business records you currently have. If the business has closed or cannot pay the balance, bring available income, expense, debt, and cash-flow information so we can discuss what may be needed for a payment request.
Use our secure client portal for confidential records. You do not need to have every document ready before asking for a consultation.
Our Florida sales tax audit support process
1. Start with the notice. Send the complete notice and all pages of any attached schedules through the secure portal. Tell us when you received it, whether you have spoken with an auditor, and whether a response or meeting is already scheduled. Keep the original documents for your records. An early review helps us understand the Florida sales tax audit work needed before we quote an engagement.
2. Agree on the work and fee. We explain which periods and issues we will review, what documents you will provide, and which communications we will handle. Bookkeeping cleanup, audit assistance, and payment-plan requests may involve different tasks. You will know the agreed scope before work begins. Tell us about any missing records so we can discuss practical next steps.
3. Build a clear record. We organize the available information and compare the supporting records with the audit findings. A bank deposit, an invoice, and a sales tax return may describe different parts of the same transaction. We ask questions about differences and document the explanation rather than assuming every difference is an error. Keep providing new correspondence while the review is underway.
4. Review the response together. We explain the issues supported by the documents, the proposed response, and any information still needed. You can ask questions before a submission or decision. Keep copies of correspondence and agreements, and confirm any payment instructions directly with the Department. After the matter is resolved, we can discuss ongoing bookkeeping and sales tax filing support to help keep future records organized.
Florida sales tax audit questions
Can you help if the audit has already started?
We can review the current stage, notices, deadlines, and available records to determine the assistance we can offer. The options depend on the facts and procedural posture.
Does an audit automatically mean I owe more tax?
No. The outcome depends on the examination and supporting records. We help you understand the findings and identify questions or adjustments supported by the evidence.
Can you arrange monthly payments?
We can assist with a request and supporting financial information. The Department determines whether to approve it and what terms apply. Do not assume that a request pauses collection or eliminates interest.
Do you offer legal representation in court?
Our service is tax and accounting support and authorized administrative representation within the agreed scope. If a matter requires legal advice or litigation, we can coordinate with a licensed attorney.
Talk with us about your Florida sales tax audit
Henriquez Accounting & Tax Services LLC
5243 Gall Blvd, Suite 4, Zephyrhills, FL 33542
813-321-7999 | English & Spanish
Related services: Florida Tax Services | Bookkeeping | IRS Representation
Services led by Pedro Henriquez, EA, MBA, CAA, CPA (D.R.). The CPA credential is held in the Dominican Republic; it is not a Florida CPA license. General information, not a determination of your tax liability. Reviewed November 10, 2026.
Official resource: Florida Department of Revenue: What to Expect from a Sales and Use Tax Audit.
Prepare your Florida sales tax audit records
A clear document set makes your Florida sales tax audit consultation more productive. Start with the records you already have; avoid changing original reports simply to make totals match. Keep a separate note explaining questions, missing files, or transactions you want us to review. We can then discuss the records that are relevant to your particular audit.
Sales and refunds. Gather sales reports by month for the periods under review. Include available point-of-sale summaries, customer invoices, credit memos, refunds, and cancellation records. If you use more than one sales platform or location, identify each source. Explain whether the reports include sales tax, shipping, discounts, or other amounts so the figures can be compared consistently.
Bank and merchant records. Collect complete bank statements and payment-processor reports, including the pages showing fees and settlement adjustments. Flag transfers between business accounts, owner contributions, loan proceeds, and other deposits you believe are unrelated to customer sales. A description alone may not resolve a question; retain the underlying documents that support your explanation.
Purchases and transaction support. Keep supplier invoices, available resale or exemption certificates, and records explaining the business purpose of disputed purchases. Separate documents by period and transaction when practical. If a certificate or invoice is missing, note that gap rather than creating a replacement description that could be mistaken for an original record.
Returns and earlier correspondence. Provide copies of the sales tax returns already filed, amendments, payment confirmations, and letters about the same periods. Include audit schedules in the format received. Tell us about work performed by a previous bookkeeper or representative, and provide any explanation they gave you. This helps us understand how the existing figures were prepared.
Questions about the proposed findings. Make a short list of the entries you do not understand. Reference the schedule name, period, and transaction where possible. Tell us what you believe happened and which document supports that understanding. Our Florida sales tax audit review focuses on the evidence available, so identifying a specific question is more useful than assuming the entire assessment is incorrect.
If you need payment assistance. Prepare a realistic picture of current income, essential expenses, business obligations, and available funds. Explain whether the business is operating, has closed, or has changed ownership. We can discuss the information needed to support a payment request. Keep the proposed monthly amount separate from any assumption about what the Department will approve.
For your privacy, upload these materials through the secure portal rather than a public contact form. During the consultation, we will identify the immediate priorities and explain what additional review is needed.
Ayuda en español: auditoría del impuesto sobre ventas en Florida
¿Recibió una notificación DR-840 y no sabe por dónde comenzar? En Henriquez Accounting & Tax Services LLC podemos revisar la notificación, identificar los períodos incluidos y explicarle qué documentos necesitamos para evaluar su situación. Atendemos en inglés y español desde nuestra oficina en Zephyrhills, con intercambio de documentos por medio de un portal seguro.
El primer paso es entender lo que solicita el Departamento de Ingresos de Florida. Envíenos la notificación completa y cualquier carta, cálculo o comunicación que ya haya recibido. Indíquenos si habló con el auditor, si existe una reunión programada y si otra persona está trabajando en el caso. No es necesario tener todos los documentos organizados para solicitar una consulta inicial.
Nuestro trabajo puede incluir comparar los reportes de ventas con los depósitos bancarios, las facturas, los reembolsos y las declaraciones presentadas. Si encontramos diferencias, le pediremos los documentos que expliquen cada situación. No todas las diferencias significan que el cálculo del auditor sea incorrecto; la respuesta debe estar respaldada por la información disponible.
También podemos revisar los documentos de compras y los certificados disponibles que apoyen el tratamiento de determinadas transacciones. Conserve los originales y anote qué información falta. Evite modificar reportes originales para que los totales coincidan. Es preferible identificar una diferencia y explicar su origen con claridad, manteniendo un registro de los documentos utilizados.
Antes de comenzar, confirmaremos el alcance del servicio y los honorarios. Una revisión de auditoría, la organización de la contabilidad y una solicitud de pagos pueden requerir trabajos distintos. Le explicaremos qué tareas se incluyen, qué información debe proporcionar y qué comunicaciones podremos realizar con la autorización correspondiente. Así podrá tomar una decisión informada sobre el servicio.
Si el negocio cerró o no puede pagar el saldo, podemos conversar sobre la documentación financiera necesaria para solicitar un acuerdo de pago. Prepare información sobre ingresos actuales, gastos, deudas y fondos disponibles. El Departamento decide si aprueba la solicitud y cuáles serán las condiciones. No debe asumir que una solicitud detiene las gestiones de cobro o elimina los intereses.
Durante el proceso, mantenga copias de toda la correspondencia y envíenos cualquier comunicación nueva. Si recibe un documento para firmar, solicite una explicación de su contenido antes de tomar una decisión. Un acuerdo de cierre y la aprobación de un plan de pagos son pasos diferentes. Podemos ayudarle a entender qué se ha completado y qué todavía requiere respuesta.
Cada caso depende de sus hechos y documentos. No prometemos una reducción específica ni la aprobación de un acuerdo. Nuestra prioridad es revisar la información, explicar las opciones dentro del alcance contratado y mantenerle informado. Si el asunto requiere asesoría legal o un proceso judicial, podemos coordinar con un abogado autorizado.
Para programar su consulta, llame al 813-321-7999 o utilice el enlace de citas de esta página. Comparta sus documentos confidenciales mediante el portal seguro. Podemos comenzar identificando los pasos inmediatos y las preguntas que deben resolverse.