# The IRS Flagged His Return: Here's the Playbook That Won the Case [E226]

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/business-by-the-numbers-5045738/the-irs-flagged-his-return-here-s-the-playbook-that-won-the-case-e226
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/business-by-the-numbers-5045738/the-irs-flagged-his-return-here-s-the-playbook-that-won-the-case-e226.md
Podcast: [Business By The Numbers](https://stenobird.com/podcast/business-by-the-numbers-5045738)
Published: 2026-07-02T04:15:00+00:00
Episode link: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com//hunt229
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/872a3d20-083e-4473-b91e-10ac2b40b5ee.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/business-by-the-numbers-5045738/episodes/the-irs-flagged-his-return-here-s-the-playbook-that-won-the-case-e226
Duration seconds: 1681

## Resource

Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, Maverick Shop Owners, and Overdryve Why does the IRS really pick a tax return to audit? And if a CPA who does this for a living can still get dragged through a three-year fight, what chance does the rest of us have? In this episode, Hunt Demarest, CPA, steps out from behind the desk to tell his own story — a three-year audit of his 2023 tax return that started with a suspiciously timed refund and ended with a win built entirely on paperwork. Hunt breaks down what gets a return flagged in the first place, the one habit that separates audits you win from ones you lose, and why "innocent" and "victorious" aren't always the same outcome — proven by a client who did everything right and still wrote a $25,000 check to the IRS. Hunt also pulls back the curtain on what his firm's audit protection covers, why informational requests aren't the same as a real audit, and why a single missing signature nearly cost him a case tax law was already on his side of. Whether you're worried about a deduction on your own return or want to know what triggers an IRS letter, this episode is a real-time look at how audits actually play out — not the version you hear secondhand. What You'll Learn... (02:51) Hunt's own audit story begins — three years, one 2023 tax return (03:58) Why the audit really happened — a refund, then a red flag a month later (04:41) Getting flagged, part 1 — why large credits are an open invitation to audit (08:24) Getting flagged, part 2 — the oversized expense line the IRS can't ignore (09:48) Inside the process — what an IRS "information request" audit actually looks like (15:06) The rule that wins audits — documentation, documentation, documentation (19:15) Audits take time, and time is money — even when you win (19:40) 1…

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## Transcript

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