You just got an audit notice. Do these 5 things in the first 48 hours.
An audit notice is not a verdict. It is a deadline.
Most people freeze, then scramble in week three. That is how you miss records, miss the response window, and hand the examiner an easy case.
In the first 48 hours:
Read the notice twice. Write down the agency, the tax year, the issue, and the due date. Do not guess.
Stop talking. Do not call the number on the letter until you know what they asked for. Casual explanations become statements.
Pull the file for that year. Returns, bank statements, invoices, 1099s. Put them in one folder. Incomplete files are the #1 delay.
Calendar the response date minus 7 days. That is your internal deadline. Mail and portals eat time.
Decide who responds. You, a CPA, or an enrolled agent. Mixing voices later looks messy.
If you already have the notice in hand, work a written 30-day sequence instead of improvising. Panic is expensive. A checklist is not.