Released in 2014, the “Reasonable Compensation Job Aid for IRS Valuation Professionals” is an internal IRS document designed to help review compensation reported on federal tax returns. Reasonable comp remains on the audit radar at the IRS, and, when it litigates cases on this issue, it usually wins. But is the document out of date?

Still good: In a blog post, former IRS manager Michael Gregory (Michael Gregory Consulting LLC) says: “Personally, I would encourage anyone working the issue to download both the IRS Reasonable Compensation Job Aid and the associated Appendix. Together they provide real insight into the issue and how the IRS approaches the issue.” Gregory, now in private practice, worked on the job aid while he was with the agency. In the blog, he also discusses other IRS papers on reasonable comp as well as some procedural issues that arise when the IRS conducts an examination.

The job aid is available as a free download from BVR (login required).