IRS

Yesterday, a man disgruntled with the IRS crashed his plane into their offices in Austin, Texas.  I simplified the story a bit, but suffice it to say that he was pretty pissed off.  While his 3000 word manifesto was extremely creepy and his murderous intent off the charts crazy, I can sympathize with him a little bit.  I'm in NO WAY condoning his actions.  He could have left it at the manifesto and called it a day.  The suicide mission was uncalled for.  I'm writing this as I'm on hold, yet again, with the IRS.  I just held for 45 minutes, and right when I was transferred, they hung up on me.  I'm in for 9:45 right now as we speak. 

This first started with Form 940 for my business with the tax period ending 12-31-08.  I received a letter that I owe them money.  The tax system is so confusing that who knows if I really owe it or not, but I just pay it.  They scare you to death with their letters.  You wonder if your phone is being tapped or there is an IRS agent waiting for you at the end of the driveway to take you to jail.  I wasn't too worried about the infraction considering it was only $25.03.  So, I write the check and sent it on its merry way.  File the notice and forget about it.  A couple of months later, I receive a check in the amount of $25.03 for overpayment.  Ok, let's get it together people.  I don't know if I even cashed the check.  I received another letter last month saying I owed, yes you guessed it, $25.03, except they added on $.10 in penalties and $.50 in interest.  Whatever. I paid it again.  I thought that's what this call was about but they've moved on.  I expect my refund check in the mail any day now.

After an additional 38:45 of waiting, this call was saying that they didn't receive a quarterly return in 2008 for my business.  To say this lady was less than friendly was being generous.  Don't make me call you what I'm thinking, lady.  After the events of yesterday, you think they may have been a little nicer on the phone.  After all, the United States tax code is so confusing that we have to have a special industry to work through it.  Long story short, they received the payment for the quarterly taxes, but not the paperwork itself.  No form.  I looked and I did not send it electronically, so they all would have been in the same envelope.  I'm sure I didn't just put a check in an envelope and leave the return on the table.  She demanded to know why this happened?  Hmmm, I don't know, I guess I felt like I would really pull something over on you people by paying the money and not filing the paperwork.  That will teach them a thing or two.  Could it be, possibly, that something happened on your end?  After the events above with the $25, I'm not feeling real good about their paperwork trail.  By the time I've written this, my accountant has sent over a copy of the form, I have signed it and sent it to the special P.O. Box that Miss Sunshine gave me, and have it in the mail.  I should have taken a picture of me, with the daily newspaper, mailing it.  I guess I could send it certified, but that would require way too much work.   My little IRS adventure is over for the day, but I look forward to another day soon that will bring additional fun for me in the mail.  Stay tuned.  Oh, I'm sure there is more.