So it turns out that due to some errors I owe extra money from 2005. I filled out all the paperwork, including the form requesting to make payments, with my bank account info so they could do automatic debits every month.
I got a letter back saying that they were unable to process my request for payments because I hadn’t sent them the form. The hell I didn’t! Well, they included a blank copy of the form and I filled it out AGAIN.
So I just got a letter saying they were unable to process my request for payment because they don’t have any record of me owing taxes for 2004. NO SHIT, EH? That’s probably why I put 2005 on the form, huh? I also got a separate letter with an invoice for the amount I owe and a thing telling me to pay the full amount by May 7. No accompanying form to request payments.
So what the bloodly fucking hell am I supposed to do? First they lose my form, then they can’t read it properly, and because of that I’m supposed to come up with a bazillion dollars that I don’t have in two weeks??
I had my accountant submit my taxes electronically the first week of April. Well and good. She told me I could expect the return to be direct deposited in a week or so. Off I go on a trip expecting to see it there when I return.
Come home…no return. Wait a week…no return.
Stop into my accountants and tell her that. She goes online and checks the status at ‘Where’s my return?’ and gets back that it was direct deposited on 4/13/07.
Except it wasn’t. We check the account information she gave the IRS…routing and account numbers all correct. I stop at the bank…they spend a day with their tracing people working on it…no deposit received at the appropriate time for the amount. No nothing.
So the IRS believes they’ve paid me off when, in fact, they either haven’t or sent the money God only knows where. Now we’re at the position of trying to get them to fix the issue. Wish us luck.
Years ago my accountant told me to send all my mail to the IRS via Certified Mail. She said it was so common to need proof that it arrived that she told all of her clients to do so. I have done it ever since and although I rarely have needed such proof, the few dollars it cost me is well worth the peace of mind.
The hell with the IRS, what about the post office? I mailed all my info to my accountant on February 1st. I mailed the package AT THE POST OFFICE. A few weeks ago, I call my accountant, and he had never received it, and he told me he would have to file an extension and do the taxes after the due date.
I went the first 30 years of my life without ever having the post office lose a single piece of mail that I am aware of. Now it happens all the time.
My brother had an apartment overlooking the Los Feliz (90027) post office. Every day, we would witness them drinking 40 Oz of Colt 45 and passing joints before they went out on their routes. The post office should be disbanded and it’s assets sold to private industry. They are only good for delivering junk any more. I hope they all die in a fire.
I’ve had the opposite experiences. Twice I’ve had problems on my taxes (of my own fault, such as mistyping the SS# for my daughter) and had to call for assistance. Each time I got through with little waiting and connected with a pleasant person who quickly figured out what I needed to do and how to do it. The assistance was prompt, pleasant, and competent.
I had a friend whose job at the local IRS service center was to be the nice person people reached after they’d gone through many, many aggravating, irritating, obfuscating idiots. So keep going up the line; you probably can reach a nice person who will help you. Eventually. Of course, they may have seized your firstborn by that time.
I had to call a few years ago because I managed to put a deduction on the wrong line, which meant that my refund barely existed. I called, waited a short while, got a very pleasant person who immediately understood my explanation, got my refund, and even got interest.
Speaking as someone who works for a rep firm (but not yours, so you know the drill- take my advice with a delicious little grain of salt and such), yeah, you ALWAYS want to send anything you send the IRS certified. Write the Certified Mail Number on the top of the page you are sending, photocopy it, and keep it in your records. When you get the little stamped portion of the Certified Mail Receipt back from the post office, staple it to your copy of the doc.
The IRS will regularly lose things that mean less money for them. It’s funny how that works.
Opal, if you continue to have a problem, call your local Congressman. They have a form you fill out, authorizing them to get your records (per the Freedom of Information Act), then they can help you. They have people on staff that work specifically in matters like this. After all, nothing will push the IRS faster than a call from someone in Congress or Senate.
Hah, since I’m at college, my tax forms end up at my house a long way away. So my Dad, via 2 day mail, sent me all the stuff I need…only it never showed up. Luckily via online forms and a fax of a W2, I was able to fill out everything and (hopefully) send it in.
then on April 17th what shows up at my door but… a battered, bruised, and abused envelope containing my original tax information… thing looks like it’s been run over, burned, and generally beaten senseless… fuckin post office.
Revenue Canada doesn’t do much better quite often. I’m batting 1 for 3 in the last three years for getting my return processed in a timely fashion - three years ago, it took about six months and multiple calls and escalating to the point where I finally reached a very nice lady who made it her business to get my tax return straightened out and processed (I submitted no errors - they had a new system that kept getting stuck on my return for some reason).
Last year they entered my address incorrectly so I didn’t get my notice of assessments and stuff from them. This year, I e-filed as usual, and we’ve already put the refunds in the bank. (I will not give Revenue Canada access to my direct deposit information until they make it a law. They can just send me a nice, traceable cheque each year.)
All you can do is stay calm, and keep at 'em until you get satisfaction. And keep copies of everything you send them, and records of every phone call.
I didn’t even talk to anyone. They sent a letter asking for additional documentation and (if applicable) a new schedule D. I figured out what I had done wrong, copied all my documentation, sent them a new schedule D, and wrote them an “I guess I’m an idiot because I filled out the forms wrong, but in the end I don’t owe you anything” letter and they sent me a letter back saying “Thanks, you are off the hook.”
Exactly my experience; twice it was my fault. The third time my ex hung me out to dry but that’s another story. Anyway, I’ve never had any trouble working with the IRS.