TurboTax Audit Defense is worth it for a simple return you prepare yourself. It does not fit Schedule C, rental, equity or crypto income, a notice already received, a sales tax audit or an error on the return.
Dimov Tax CPAs and enrolled agents take IRS and state letters TaxAudit turns down for any year the IRS can still audit, then quote any needed return fix separately.
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Our representative talks to the examiner directly for the client.
A senior tax expert takes it.
We quote the diagnostic before any work begins.
TaxAudit answers IRS and state income tax audits on a self-prepared return for notices received during the membership. It takes no notice dated before the purchase and no sales tax, payroll or estate audit.
MAX extends the representation for as long as the IRS or state can audit the return and adds identity theft services.
A $1,440 diagnostic covers three hours across the IRS and one state: power of attorney, transcripts and a report, with the fix quoted after it.
TaxAudit sets its limits in the annual membership agreement, and we take the cases it excludes:
| Issue | TaxAudit membership | Dimov Tax |
|---|---|---|
| Notice dated before the purchase | Excluded | We take it |
| First audit notice received after the membership period | Excluded | We take it for any open year |
| Sales tax audit | Excluded | We defend the sales tax audit |
| An error on the return | TaxAudit does not prepare or amend returns | We amend the return or file late years |
| Tax due after the audit | Two hours of collection help | Balance review and penalty abatement |
Filers can keep Audit Defense and still hire us for amendments, late returns and penalty abatement.
TaxAudit, the company behind TurboTax Audit Defense, runs each annual membership into the following year and handles each covered audit through completion.
TaxAudit also excludes businesses with more than $5 million in gross receipts or more than 10 partners, shareholders or members.
Intuit gives TurboTax filers audit guidance, and TaxAudit gives representation.
The TurboTax Max benefits worth it on a self-prepared return are representation for as long as the return stays open and identity monitoring.
TaxAudit represents TurboTax Online MAX buyers for as long as the IRS or state can audit the return.
Intuit lists access to a TurboTax product specialist among its TurboTax Max benefits.
An IDnotify specialist takes on recovering the filer's identity after a theft.
The IDnotify team alerts the filer to suspicious activity online, and a specialist helps the filer respond.
American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida repays stolen funds and legal fees caused by identity theft.
Filers can add MAX any time before they file.
Intuit shows PLUS or MAX fees during Online filing, and the Audit Defense offer during the Desktop Review step.
Members report the first notice to TaxAudit within 15 days of its date, since the agencies send TaxAudit no copies.
Intuit is not a party to the membership agreement, so the member deals with TaxAudit.
Filers get value from audit defense when they would rather prepay a representative for one return year than hire one after a letter.
Filers can skip it when their CPA prepares the return and answers IRS notices for them.
FreeTaxUSA sells Audit Defense for $19.99, with a team of CPAs and enrolled agents behind it.
FreeTaxUSA covers a 2025 federal return for three years and the state return for four years.
FreeTaxUSA audit defense is worth it for a simple self-prepared return, and it covers the return for longer than an annual TurboTax Audit Defense membership.
We read the letter and the membership terms with the filer, then say whether TaxAudit or Dimov Tax should answer it.
Clients can book the call before sending any documents.
We hand the client a report on the account:
We list the income employers and banks reported, from the Wage and Income transcripts.
We list each year the IRS or state says the filer owes, with the penalties applied.
We flag each year with no return on file.
We name the next step, such as an amendment, penalty abatement or a late return, with its own quote.
The client signs Form 2848, plus a state form where needed, naming our CPA or enrolled agent as representative.
We file the forms with the IRS and one state department of revenue.
We pull Wage and Income, Tax Return and Record of Account transcripts for each year in question.
We ask about balances, assessments and penalties on the account.
We take the client through the findings before any further work starts.
Never talk to the IRS or state tax agency, always hire an enrolled agent or CPA to do it for you.
| Service | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| IRS and state consultation | From $240 | Advice on the letter, with unused time credited |
| Diagnostic with power of attorney | $1,440 | Three hours of work and a report on the account |
| Audit representation | Quoted after the diagnostic | Replies, document requests and appeals |
We list consultations on our price page.
We hold the $1,440 quote when work starts within one week.
A membership prepays one return year; the diagnostic covers any year the IRS can still audit, and we quote the fix after it.
Send the letter and the TurboTax return, and our CPA or enrolled agent takes the audit from the first reply to the IRS.
We keep the letter and the return confidential.

Reviewed by George Dimov, CPA. Certified to practice in all 50 states. 15+ years advising on federal and state examinations. View George Dimov's bio