At or shortly after the pre-audit conference the auditor will present the taxpayer with a "Requirements for the Audit Review of Third-Party Credits." In addition to explaining documentation requirements, the form also includes a date by which the documentation should be provided to the auditor in order to be included in the findings of the audit.
The date identified is the date by which the auditor expects to have the initial transactional level review completed. This is based on the industry, relative size of the taxpayer and past audit history of similarly situated taxpayers. This is the established procedure in identifying the date.
However, the actual length of time it takes the auditor to complete the audit is directly related to the taxpayer’s ability to provide timely access to the requested records. If a taxpayer has concerns with the date identified by the auditor, they should at first address
the issue with the auditor. If the auditor does not adequately address the issue, the taxpayer may escalate the issue to the audit supervisor.