I have been paying taxes since I was 15 years old. I remember my mother requesting permission from the city Board of Education office to allow me to work my first job collecting and issuing golf balls at the local driving range. I remember seeing my first paycheck and realizing that, wow, that's a big chunk of money I don't get to bring home!
Seventeen years later, I am still part of the taxpaying system. Which is okay, its all part of the game, I suppose. I am employed full-time as a defense contractor, and I am also a Reservist, having served 8 years enlisted active duty before receiving my commission as a Reserve officer. I am a homeowner who invests substantial time and money into making my abode beautiful, and a nice place to hang out.
I recently returned from an overseas deployment in January. Upon receipt of my W-2's, I promptly filed my tax
return in February via a well-known, commercial tax filing service (which I have
used for several years, without issue). I received a notice via email
within 24 hours that a return had already been filed with my taxpayer
ID. I immediately reviewed my credit report, and following IRS
instruction I submitted a form indicating possible identity theft, and
resubmitted a paper return. I have done all that I can do as the victim.
I
read this week's article on
TBO.com, and I'm happy to see that the Tampa Police Department and their Special Investigations Unit is
calling the IRS to the carpet for their failure to perform. It's
frustrating! I have a flawless history of prompt and
accurate returns, but I must wait for the IRS to do their job. I
contacted the IRS to follow-up on the status of my
affidavit, only to be told that I would, quote: "hopefully receive a
notice from an IRS case worker within 90 days" (note: I have already
waited nearly 60 days, and the date I was provided was almost another 60
days from today.) If I did not receive a notice, it was MY
responsibility to wait in the queue for a case worker's assistance.
In addition, the IRS customer service rep commented that she thought it
was "odd" that the IRS did not flag my return as a possible fraud case,
as it was filed without the historical indicators that are routinely on
my tax returns. The IRS is restricted from providing any further details of my case, which is understandable. However, when I retorted that this was essentially the fault of
the IRS as well for just handing over my money without vetting the return for accuracy, and it was not just the fault of the thieves that stole my hard-earned
money, she responded that "yeah, they (the IRS) should have caught that
but they didn't."
Nice. Just what an honest taxpayer wants to hear: "OOPS!", from the IRS.
