Had a strange conversation with the IRS ...

[DURHAM D]

I called the IRS earlier today because I had not received my refund. The guy on the phone asked me how much I was expecting to receive - I gave him the amount. Then he indicated it had been mailed today.

Next, he indicated that it was a large refund and "They had really treated me right". I couldn't think of anything to say so he went on and listed all of my refunds for the past several years and said I was lucky to get back all of that money and that the IRS had "Done me right". He just kept talking about the virtues of the IRS refund policy until I finally said "That money I got back was my money for taxes I didn't owe and I didn't understand his comments". He then said that "Not everyone gets that much money back ... "

I swear to God - he acted like they were giving me government money, not my own money.

I don't know what to make of it.

[mattclearing]

1. That's horrifying.

Did you get his name?

[DURHAM D]

3. Just his first name.

However, I am afraid to complain about it - they will attack me.

[mattclearing]

7. Are your taxes in order?

I mean, seriously, if your taxes are legit, then that's something.

Of course, no one wants to go through an audit, but if you're in good standing, you may be in a position to make him regret that intimidation.

[DURHAM D]

13. Yes, they are in order.

The conversation was friendly, not threatening. It was more like he is a cheerleader for refund gifts.

[Violet_Crumble]

35. Then there's no reason why you couldn't complain about him...

It's not like *he* can order an audit be done on you or anything. If it's like here, the IRS has call centre staff who man the phones and deal with queries about tax returns and stuff. While they have access to taxpayer information, they shouldn't have the ability to have an audit done on you as some form of payback. The IRS, just like other revenue authority, has performance measures, and customer satisfaction is one of them. Like the revenue authority I'm way more familiar with, the IRS seems to be real big on compliance, which means they like to keep compliant taxpayers happy so that they'll continue to be compliant...

If the conversation was friendly, I personally wouldn't bother putting in a complaint that could at the most extreme lead to that guy being sacked if he's on a temporary employment contract or whatever they use in the US. But if you felt he was really out of line, you should speak up. Even if you only know his first name, if you remember the time and date of the call, they can check their records and see who accessed yr records at that time...

Violet....

[Left Is Write]

2. Why is he working for the IRS?

Why is someone who does not understand how the process works employed by the IRS? He thinks tax overpayment refunds are handouts?

[DURHAM D]

5. Totally.

I wonder if they are trained to act in this disingenuous manner in order to fool us or something.

[Der Blaue Engel]

4. Seems to be subtly implying you must be cheating

Hope you don't get audited. :scared:

[DURHAM D]

6. Hey - don't say that. Scary thought. eom

[Der Blaue Engel]

16. Sorry

:hug:

[Name removed]

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[mattclearing]

10. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[Name removed]

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[spacelady]

12. I concur on the income tax, doesn't lawfully exist. n/t

[Name removed]

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[DURHAM D]

14. No - not a corporation.

But, I don't mind paying taxes - the alternatives seem worse.

[Name removed]

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[GraysonDave]

15. You better check your statute again

TITLE 26 > Subtitle A > CHAPTER 1 > Subchapter A > PART I > § 1 Prev | Next

§ 1. Tax imposed


Release date: 2005-08-31

(a) Married individuals filing joint returns and surviving spouses
There is hereby imposed on the taxable income of—
(1) every married individual (as defined in section 7703) who makes a single return jointly with his spouse under section 6013, and
(2) every surviving spouse (as defined in section 2 (a)),
a tax determined in accordance with the following table:
If taxable income is: The tax is:


Not over $36,900 15% of taxable income.
Over $36,900 but not over $89,150 $5,535, plus 28% of the excess over $36,900.
Over $89,150 but not over $140,000 $20,165, plus 31% of the excess over $89,150.
Over $140,000 but not over $250,000 $35,928.50, plus 36% of the excess over $140,000.
Over $250,000 $75,528.50, plus 39.6% of the excess over $250,000.


(b) Heads of households
There is hereby imposed on the taxable income of every head of a household (as defined in section 2 (b)) a tax determined in accordance with the following table:
If taxable income is: The tax is:


Not over $29,600 15% of taxable income.
Over $29,600 but not over $76,400 $4,440, plus 28% of the excess over $29,600.
Over $76,400 but not over $127,500 $17,544, plus 31% of the excess over $76,400.
Over $127,500 but not over $250,000 $33,385, plus 36% of the excess over $127,500.
Over $250,000 $77,485, plus 39.6% of the excess over $250,000.


(c) Unmarried individuals (other than surviving spouses and heads of households)
There is hereby imposed on the taxable income of every individual (other than a surviving spouse as defined in section 2 (a) or the head of a household as defined in section 2 (b)) who is not a married individual (as defined in section 7703) a tax determined in accordance with the following table:
If taxable income is: The tax is:


Not over $22,100 15% of taxable income.
Over $22,100 but not over $53,500 $3,315, plus 28% of the excess over $22,100.
Over $53,500 but not over $115,000 $12,107, plus 31% of the excess over $53,500.
Over $115,000 but not over $250,000 $31,172, plus 36% of the excess over $115,000.
Over $250,000 $79,772, plus 39.6% of the excess over $250,000.

[Name removed]

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[GraysonDave]

20. 16th Amendment

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several states, and without regard to any census or enumeration.

[Name removed]

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[GraysonDave]

25. The United ones

The Constitution applies to the United States of America.

[Name removed]

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[intheozone]

34. You better check the Internal Revenue Code

Section 104!

[Name removed]

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[GraysonDave]

28. The handbook is not law, and I would like to keep my hat

The constitution, statutes, and court interpretations are the law.

[Name removed]

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[GraysonDave]

30. I hate the income tax; I wish you were right

But wishing doesn't make it so.

[Historic NY]

9. See I knew all those tax refund checks * gave, would catch up with us....

they gave so much money back to the rich that they want to make others feel guilty in accepting any refunds. Must be a new Bush administration tax scheme, let us keep your money.

[barb162]

19. they are arrogant shits, aren't they

[Violet_Crumble]

37. Tax officers?

Yeah, they are, aren't they!

[Sydnie]

21. Are you sure you were talking to the IRS and not FEMA?

j/k :rofl:

[DURHAM D]

31. While I waited on hold the recording kept saying that

they were experiencing heavy traffic because of Katrina.

Maybe they have told the government to be really chatty and sympathetic with callers. ??

[Sydnie]

32. Or maybe they just wanted to hear a "friendly voice" instead of the next

irrate caller? Maybe they just didn't want their phone to ring again too quickly?

Very strange that they made those types of comments to you, just the same.

[Violet_Crumble]

36. That'd be because of this...

5,000 IRS Telephone Operators Register Hurricane Victims for FEMA Benefits

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that several thousand telephone operators are helping the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) answer telephone calls from Hurricane Katrina victims.

The IRS has 2,743 employees working these telephone calls today at locations in Atlanta, Buffalo, Dallas and Philadelphia. By Friday, the number of IRS employees will reach nearly 5,000.

IRS telephone assisters are taking calls seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. to help people with the FEMA registration process. Hurricane victims call in and provide IRS employees with basic information, such as name, address and types of property damage. They are also referred to other essential services, like the American Red Cross.

"We've given the FEMA registration process priority over our regular telephone service to taxpayers. Hundreds of thousands of families have suffered because of this hurricane and they are scattered in communities across America," said IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson. "They can’t get the cash and housing benefits to which they are entitled until they register with FEMA. By calling back to work over 4,000 of our seasonal workers, we are speeding assistance to hurricane victims while minimizing disruption to our normal taxpayer services."

http://www.irs.gov/irs/article/0,,id=148086,00.html

[TheStates]

23. You know what this sounds like?

This sounds like Bush trying to bribe America. He's run out of all the other tricks so now he's bribing people not to be mad at him, is that a weird thought?

[theHandpuppet]

41. You know, I think you're on to something

The IRS just putting in a little plug for George about tax refunds.

[banana republican]

33. As a CPA THIS IS BS....

Most of the people answering the phones have 32 semester hours or so of accounting. They are in no position to know the details of you return; only the amount that you owe or of your refund. When I inquired about a Clients appeal all they could tell me was that "it was under review"...

I am not however surprised that they would try and pull this BS on you. Without any "representation" e.g. CPA or Attorney; you are at risk since the IRS's initial conclusion is that you do not understand the Tax Code and they can pull the wool over your eyes ( this is not just a *'ism but goes back many many years( remember the 1st heart transplant patient who was call by Ray-Gun and told him on air "where is my social security check???")).

Unfortunately this is how the system works. If you can't afford to pay me you pay them...


P.S. I end up doing a lot of pro bono work mostly for not-for-profits...

I wish it were different.....

[Bernardo de La Paz]

38. Careful. You are buying into Republican meme it's your money. Wink wink

Careful. You are buying into the Republican notion that it's your money.
Wink wink

It is your money. That doesn't mean that taxation for common good is the worst way to handle things at this stage of societal evolution. However, you are entitled to your legal refund.

What to make of it is that Democrats and Socialists and Greens and Libertarians have rights too.

[Name removed]

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[tkmorris]

40. Fair tax my lily white ass

Your "fair tax" punishes the hell out of poor people. But you know that don't you?