What is Full Audit Representation?

Updated May 28, 2026 by Kate Ferreira, CTEC

Full Audit Representation is a prepaid audit defense membership you can purchase through TaxAudit (or through our partner, TurboTax) that provides professional help if you’re ever contacted by the IRS or your state taxing agency. In other words, if you receive a tax notice or are selected for a tax audit, one of our experienced tax professionals will step in to guide you, communicate with the agency, and defend your income tax return through the audit process.

 

What Full Audit Representation Includes

With Full Audit Representation (also commonly referred to as Audit Defense), your assigned tax professional can help defend both your federal and state income tax returns. If you receive an IRS letter or state notice, your representative’s job is to take stress and uncertainty out of the process by explaining what the agency is asking for, outlining your options, and developing a strategy aimed at minimizing your financial impact while protecting your rights. With Full Audit Representation, you can expect:
 

• Professional handling of tax notices from the IRS or your state taxing authority, including prompt responses and clear explanations of the next steps.
• Document collection through a secure portal so you can upload supporting records electronically and keep everything organized in one place.
• Thorough review of your documentation before we submit anything to a taxing authority, so our response is complete, consistent, and positioned as strongly as possible.
• Ongoing communication by phone and through our secure case management portal, so you’re not left wondering what’s happening with your case.
• Scheduling and attending audit appointments on your behalf, which can include calls, correspondence audits, and any other meetings required by the taxing agency.
• Escalation support when needed, including preparation of requests for appeals conferences and (in uncommon situations) preparation of a U.S. Tax Court petition.

How the Audit Representation Process Works
 

1. You receive a notice or audit letter. Instead of responding on your own, you report the correspondence to our team members here at TaxAudit.
2. You’re assigned to work with a tax professional. Your representative will review the notice and your tax return, then explains what the IRS or state is looking for.
3. You upload documents securely. Using our online portal, you submit receipts, statements, and other supporting records needed to respond.
4. Your representative builds the response. After reviewing your documentation, they prepare the best possible response package and have our quality control team review it for accuracy before anything is sent to the agency.
5. They communicate with the taxing authority. Your tax professional handles calls, letters, and meetings, keeping the case moving forward while keeping you informed.
6. The case is resolved. Whether the outcome is “no change,” a clarification, or an amount due, your representative will help you understand the result and provide directions on any next steps.

Why Choose Prepaid Audit Defense?

Many taxpayers don’t think about tax audit representation until a letter arrives—and by that time, you may be trying to find help quickly, compare fees, and figure out what to do next under tight deadlines. A prepaid membership is designed to remove that uncertainty. Rather than paying potentially significant hourly costs to hire a tax expert after an audit begins, Full Audit Representation gives you a clear, one-time, prepaid option that’s focused on getting you through the audit from start to finish.

 

What Makes Full Audit Representation with TaxAudit Different?

We have been helping taxpayers for more than 30 years and are one of the largest audit defense firms in the nation. Our tax audit defense representatives handle more audit cases in a month than many professionals see in an entire career. With more than 21 million members, the focus is simple: provide the expertise, experience, and professionalism needed to respond effectively to IRS and state inquiries—without you having to face the process alone.