Audit Management

Business Challenge Over the years, Revenue agencies have looked for an edge in their efforts to identify and efficiently use resources to assess unpaid tax. Today, auditors are constantly asked to conduct more audits and perform more complex audit functions, in less time and with less support staff. Audit managers and executives need to be able to monitor audit progress, efficiently manage cases and know what is happening now, not months down the road. To get the best use of an agency’s resources and the highest return on investment, the most modern and effective Compliance Management techniques, including leading-edge technology solutions, are required. RSI has the Solution RSI’s Audit Management practice line is focused exclusively on providing products and services to help an Audit Division operate at their highest level. RSI offers two software products, DiscoverTax® Audit Workbench and TaxMaster®, that can be installed separately or together to provide an integrated solution for both the auditor and the audit manager to conduct and manage the audit. DiscoverTax® Audit Workbench provides centralized audit case management and an entire electronic case folder that can be downloaded to an auditor’s laptop and regularly synchronized to a central server repository for review by supervisors and managers. This includes compiling assessment information directly from the detailed audit workpapers for upload/interface to the backend tax processing system(s) for assessment issuance and collection. DiscoverTax® Audit Workbench provides the audit case management and tracking functions. The TaxMaster® audit laptop tool supports and enhances the detailed review of taxpayer data by auditors, and the required taxpayer information from the agency tax system is made available to the auditor, eliminating the need to re-enter taxpayer demographics, filed return data and other data required for the audit case. Both products comprise RSI’s industry leading integrated Audit Management solution.

DiscoverTax® Audit Workbench The DiscoverTax® Audit Workbench includes a robust set of case management functions and features for auditors and supervisors. The solution provides up to the minute detailed status of all “in-progress” cases based on a set of comprehensive case tracking and review features, all as part of afully electronic case folder. The case folder contains the complete contents of the case, including all workpapers, forms, adjustment schedules and taxpayer submitted records, either electronically provided or scanned. All case log entries, assessment details, approval history, correspondence, notes and other important audit files and document attachments are maintained in the case folder and can be reviewed online by anyone authorized to review the case during the course of the audit. Audit Workbench provides several collaboration and workflow utilities for managing work across what is often a disparate workforce, including electronic case assignment, messaging, approval rules and workflow management, appointment tracking and time recording. Audit Workbench provides the ability for auditors to check-out and download their assigned cases to their laptop to conduct field audit activities regardless of the network connection or location. The Audit Workbench includes an automated data synchronization process allowing auditors to refresh their case folder in the field and upload their incremental progress for all cases to the central case repository for easy viewing by supervisors and other auditors in the office. Audit Workbench can be tightly integrated with TaxMaster®, RSI’s audit laptop solution. TaxMaster® provides a rich suite of integrated productivity tools for auditors, and can be configured to pre-populate schedules and forms with available taxpayer data. The auditor can conduct their detailed review of taxpayer records in the field, determine the adjustments to tax accordingly and check-in and upload their final assessment records, notes and time & expense reports automatically to the Audit Workbench central server repository for supervisory review. A supervisor can then review the competed audit and make notes to the auditor within the electronic case folder. Once agreement has been reached between the auditor and supervisor, the entire case folder can subsequently be integrated with the backend tax processing system(s) for final assessment, billing/notice issuance and collections. Features and benefits of DiscoverTax® Audit Workbench: centralization and standardization of case management – improves productivity and reduces errors; automated data synchronization between central office and the field – enhances case progress review and refresh of data; consistent documentation of audit process - improves quality of audit; inventory, productivity and management reporting of audits – better control of resources; and, single, secure electronic case folder – eliminates duplication of data and improves efficiency. TaxMaster® To significantly improve audit efficiency and productivity, states require an application that can be easily installed onto a field auditor laptop that: 1) provides all of the basic functions and features required by auditors; 2) is easily adaptable to state (and local) taxes; and, 3) is supported and continuously enhanced by knowledgeable staff who can quickly make changes and updates. Several states, including Alabama, Massachusetts, Nevada and South Carolina, as well as numerous local jurisdictions, comprising over 1000 users, have already concluded that the solution is TaxMaster®. TaxMaster® is an integrated suite of tools that enhance auditors’ capabilities, both in the field and in the office, by facilitating the efficient conduct and completion of audits in less time and with fewer errors. Built on proven technology, TaxMaster® supports auditors with a toolset that meets virtually every audit function for all tax types. The TaxMaster® software: contains predefined letters and forms, and allows creation of customized letters; enables customized work sheets and schedules in the field to adapt to the particular audit situation; facilitates audit completion, across multiple tax types, with all data centrally located; imports taxpayer data into simple to use spreadsheets eliminating the time consuming task of separately keying in large amounts of data; provides statistical tools to calculate sample sizes and select random sets of transactions (optional add-on feature); provides links to, and imports of, audit resources such as policy, web-sites, legislation or user procedures; and, attaches critical external files to an audit such as spreadsheets, database files and text files. Benefits of TaxMaster®: time saving features for data entry and import; standardized work papers library, with ability to customize, streamlines the recording process; standard presentation of audit results facilitates review for supervisors and taxpayers; promotes consistency and quality of audits; ease of configuration via system tables for tax rates and jurisdictions; and, short learning curve translates to quick adoption and immediate increases in auditor productivity. DiscoverTax® Audit Workbench and TaxMaster® – An Integrated Audit Management Solution Together, DiscoverTax® Audit Workbench and TaxMaster® software products represent a comprehensive and integrated end-to-end solution to audit workflow and process management. RSI recommends the implementation of both products as part of an overall Compliance Management integrated solution and a coordinated effort to improve the audit process that is made possible through more advanced productivity tools and consolidated electronic case management. Summary RSI’s Audit Management practice line is devoted to address the complexities that Audit Divisions face and insuring that all audit resources are as productive as possible. DiscoverTax® Audit Workbench and TaxMaster® provide field auditors, desk auditors and supervisors with a powerful integrated suite of tools all designed to increase efficiency and productivity while at the same time empowering auditors to more effectively conduct field audits. Contact an RSI representative today to see how TaxMaster® can help your audit staff. Or, download a free evaluation copy today.