Contents
Appendices · 9 min read
The Master Audit: The Innocent Spouse's Survival Checklist
Every phase compressed into one checklist you can work through in order.
01Perimeter
- Private device, private email, private password store — none previously shared.
- Two-factor moved off shared numbers; location and cloud sharing disentangled.
- Offsite copy of every document gathered to date.
- Bound notebook started; entries dated and never rewritten.
02Household and tax record
- Baseline inventory: institutions, accounts, recurring debits, entities, advisors.
- Three to five years of returns read schedule by schedule.
- IRS Return, Account, Record of Account, and Wage and Income transcripts ordered.
- Unknown payers from the Wage and Income transcript listed as leads.
03Assets and entities
- Crypto on-ramps traced; hardware wallets and exchange 1099s noted.
- Life insurance and annuity cash values, loans, and beneficiary changes requested.
- Any "black box" investment tested for an independent custodian and realized distributions.
- Foreign account reporting checked: Schedule B Part III, Form 8938, FBAR.
- State business registries searched; deeds searched under every entity name.
- County recorder and assessor searched in every relevant county.
04Business
- General ledger, trial balance, bank and processor statements obtained.
- Shareholder loan and officer compensation accounts examined across years.
- Gift card and marketing expense recipient logs requested.
- Revenue reconciled three ways: return, deposits, processor settlements.
05Legal and forward security
- Counsel retained in the correct jurisdiction; preservation letter sent.
- Forensic accountant retained through counsel; investigator only for a defined question.
- Baseline and Anomaly binders built, indexed, and cross-referenced.
- Individual accounts opened; credit frozen at all three bureaus; IRS IP PIN requested.
- Beneficiaries, powers of attorney, and estate documents rewritten.
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