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

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

From Business By The Numbers by Hunt Demarest

July 2, 2026 · 28 min · Episode 229

About this episode

Hunt Demarest shares his personal experience with a three-year IRS audit and insights on what triggers audits and how to navigate them.

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…

People in this episode

Host: Hunt Demarest

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Promotive, WickedFile, Maverick Shop Owners, Overdryve

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