I Hate the Internal Revenue Service (1 Viewer)

[Hoodoo]

Sorry if there is another thread on this, but wondering if anyone else is having issues with getting your return or anything else to do with the IRS and what you are doing about it.

In early June I filed two tax amendments for 2018 & 2019 because I'd inadvertently omitted a sizable deduction on both. My tax office told me that they are slow to process these and I should see something back from them in about 16 weeks, but in the meantime I could check the status on IRS.gov. Given it's been about 10 weeks I decided to go online & check the status, but when I get on it says the they've only received one for 2020 and they have not started processing it. It also says that if it's been three weeks since it was filed and it doesn't show then to contact them. I don't know if any of you have ever tried to "contact" the IRS, but it's impossible to get an actual person on the line. My next step was to try the local tax office, which is actually two towns over. I call their office and get a recording to call the national number to set up an appointment. I call the national number to set up an appointment for the local office & have been sitting on hold now for 45 minutes... just to make an appointment... just to drive over 30 minutes away to see if they've actually received my forms.

 

[livefromDC]

This system wasn't developed for you so it's not there to service you. But don't worry, There are many Americans devoted to continuing to vote to ensure that by the off chance you do join the top 1%, it will.

Since you're here complaining, I'm going to assume you haven't been enabling the folks that think tax breaks should be made easy for the rich and confusing for the middle class.

 

[Hoodoo]

Update: Finally got on the phone with someone and they told me that the local office wouldn't be able to help me. They said that the only thing that I could do is just wait the 16 weeks processing time. I asked her what I should do if they still don't show on the website after that 16 weeks & she basically said wait some more. Apparently, when they get them, they just sit in a mail room for the department they are bound for until someone is ready to process it. It's never "received" until they actually begin to process it, so they have no way of knowing if they've actually gotten them.

 

[efil4stnias]

Wait til your Gateway goes bad and you have to call AT&T for a new one.

 

[Hoodoo]

Since you're here complaining, I'm going to assume you haven't been enabling the folks that think tax breaks should be made easy for the rich and confusing for the middle class.

I have no idea what that has to do with my problem or the people waiting on their "over a million backlogged returns" (her words). I'm middle class and all of my tax breaks were extremely easy, I just happened to leave one very important one off on my last two returns.

 

[superchuck500]

Dealing with the IRS is definitely maddening. I know that their budget has been annually cut since the 2011 sequester and more recently when the agency got crosswise with Republicans in Congress over the 501(c)(3) a few years go. So the agency has been deliberately under-resourced.

I had an issue with them about 10 years ago, they rejected my claim of a tax credit and I filed an appeal. They were clearly wrong but the computer was just kicking it out (my suspicion, I don't know for sure).

After countless hours on that damn phone system and an attempt to go into an IRS office (was told that wasn't the right place to do that), I finally used the contact/help forms on my congressman and senators' offices. I did get a response from a staffer at the senate office who did tax work and she contacted me like three days later. I explained it all to her and sent her my appeal package. Within a week it was resolved.

I don't think that's the best route for every problem with the IRS, but if you're just not getting anywhere, that's an option that people don't always think about.

 

[livefromDC]

I have no idea what that has to do with my problem or the people waiting on their "over a million backlogged returns" (her words). I'm middle class and all of my tax breaks were extremely easy, I just happened to leave one very important one off on my last two returns.

With perspective comes rationalization.

Sure thing, bro, this sounds easy for you. Don't know why you're complaining now.

 

[dtc]

Update: Finally got on the phone with someone and they told me that the local office wouldn't be able to help me. They said that the only thing that I could do is just wait the 16 weeks processing time. I asked her what I should do if they still don't show on the website after that 16 weeks & she basically said wait some more. Apparently, when they get them, they just sit in a mail room for the department they are bound for until someone is ready to process it. It's never "received" until they actually begin to process it, so they have no way of knowing if they've actually gotten them.

Get a new accountant and do it right instead of complaining about how someone is taking to long to fix your mistake.

 

[Hoodoo]

With perspective comes rationalization.

Sure thing, bro, this sounds easy for you. Don't know why you're complaining now.

Everything is not political. My problem sourced from my neglect, not from any difficulty or confusion with identifying tax breaks. However, now my problem is getting any info out of the IRS, which is a likely a problem caused by budget cuts approved by Congress as Superchuck just pointed out. But you go on blaming the just the Republicans for every little problem there ever was, is or ever will be. All I ask is that you go do it somewhere else because it's not relevant to the thread that I started.

 

[Hoodoo]

Get a new accountant and do it right instead of complaining about how someone is taking to long to fix your mistake.

Well, yeah, I did that this year & the new one screwed it up too and we had to amend it as well. THAT one the IRS has, the other two they don't & they were sent in within weeks of each other. And BTW, I fixed my mistake and I'm not complaining about how long it is taking. I'm complaining because I can't even get anyone to tell me if they've received it or not & the only advice is to just keep waiting.

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

I have a stack of paperwork going back 18 months after they screwed up my 2018 return and then sent me a notice that I owed an additional $28,000(!!) in taxes, penalties and interest. It's been a goat rodeo ever since.

I got 2 more conflicting pieces of mail this week, one which seems to indicate its been resolved, the other says "we're still looking at it, and your deadline to file in Tax Court is Sept 1".

 

[livefromDC]

Everything is not political. My problem sourced from my neglect, not from any difficulty or confusion with identifying tax breaks. However, now my problem is getting any info out of the IRS, which is a likely a problem caused by budget cuts approved by Congress as Superchuck just pointed out. But you go on blaming the just the Republicans for every little problem there ever was, is or ever will be. All I ask is that you go do it somewhere else because it's not relevant to the thread that I started.

I disagree. The disconnect you're experiencing with seeing this is priceless my point.

 

[livefromDC]

Well, yeah, I did that this year & the new one screwed it up too and we had to amend it as well. THAT one the IRS has, the other two they don't & they were sent in within weeks of each other. And BTW, I fixed my mistake and I'm not complaining about how long it is taking. I'm complaining because I can't even get anyone to tell me if they've received it or not & the only advice is to just keep waiting.

Sounds more easy the more you. complain about it being easy

 

[Hoodoo]

Sounds more easy the more you. complain about it being easy

Do you work for the IRS or something? Just wondering why you seem to have an issue with me or my complaint. If you don't have anything relevant to add and just came here to throw political jabs or at me personally then I'd really appreciate it if you'd just move along.

 

[superchuck500]

Everything is not political. My problem sourced from my neglect, not from any difficulty or confusion with identifying tax breaks. However, now my problem is getting any info out of the IRS, which is a likely a problem caused by budget cuts approved by Congress as Superchuck just pointed out. But you go on blaming the just the Republicans for every little problem there ever was, is or ever will be. All I ask is that you go do it somewhere else because it's not relevant to the thread that I started.

I'm not really sure why you're catching flack about this, and I think it should stop.

As to the problem, when you file an amended return, I think you presume its accurate unless they tell you otherwise. If your amended return results in a tax credit back to you, just consider that on your ledger.

In other words, let's say the amended returns yield $10K in credit back to you, just picking an easy round number. When you file your next return, consider that $10K already there to be used for taxes you might owe. I think that's how CPAs typically do it. They don't wait on IRS to comment on the amended return.