ellen_datlow | Am I overreacting?

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I just received a notice today from the IRS notifying me that I will shortly receive “a notice and additional information shortly before the payment is made” about the economic stimulus payment we’re all going to receive. So how much did this mass mailing cost us?

Ellen
(outraged by the seemingly waste of MY money and YOUR money on postage, not to mention paper--even "recycled," which it proudly proclaims it uses)

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Date: 2008-03-25 01:53 am (UTC)

From:

joeicarus.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)

Grr . . . IRS

Don't even get me started. A couple of months ago (on our anniversary, no less!) my wife and I got matching certified letters from the IRS telling us that we owed them a bunch of money from last year because they had disallowed our deductions for our children and for our child care expenses after determining that we do not, in fact have children. Um, wha?!?! So we called and spoke to a guy who said someone else had claimed the same kids as dependents, and when this happened, rather than investigating, the IRS always just sent such letters to all involved parties and let them prove that they actually are entitled to the deductions. He told us to mail copies of certain documentation in, and it would be okay. So we mailed the documentation they asked for, and waited, and heard back that we can't simply take care of this by mailing some copies in. We have to file an appeal with the US Tax Court. So to get this straightened out, we have to pay court fees, get a date arbitrarily assigned to me at the court--the nearest court is in TAMPA, an hour away--and probably take a day off from work to do it, which will cost us money. All to straighten out something that is not our fault. If we get a tax attorney, it will cost an arm and a leg. If we do their version of small claims court, then, if, through some bizarre happenstance, the ruling goes against us, there is no appeal. (Perhaps we should bring the kids with us. And feed them sugar for breakfast.)

We can't file our 2007 taxes until this is resolved, because I sure as heck plan on declaring my kids on them. So I will be filing an extension. My understanding is there will be no stimulus money for us until we file. I hope we don't lose out somehow. (Not that I think the stimulus thing is the greatest ideas, but if everyone else is getting a check, I want one too!)

Date: 2008-03-25 01:55 am (UTC)

From:

ellen-datlow.livejournal.com

Re: Grr . . . IRS

This isn't the IRS. I'm sure as someone above pointed out, it's the Administration hoping we'll all be sooo grateful for getting a few bucks that we'll forgive what they've done over the past 7 1/2 years.