This stupid $%$^**!! GOVERNMENT!!

[chrisinhouston]

As some of you may remember, I posted back in November about how I've pretty much given up having a life so I can take care of my 86 year old mom who his in home hospice with the final stages of Alzheimer's and my 91 year old blind dad. I not only take care of everything in their personal daily lives as well as dealing with paying all of their bills, taxes and whatever comes our way.

So, last week I get a letter for each of them addressed to me from Social Security as I am there appointed "Representative Payee" which basically means I have the authority to talk to the SSA about any problems or changes to their SS payments and that I pay their bills using this money.

The forms need to be filled out and returned or I may be penalized. The first question asks if I have been convicted of any felonies in the past year and then goes on like a tax return asking how much of the total SSA payment went to housing, food, clothing, health care. etc. Then they want to know if any was put in a savings account or some other investment.

I guess it's prudent to make sure they are being well cared for but it does bother me that they want all this personal information. My parents are pretty well set financially but even with their SS checks we take money out of investments as needed.

NOW, HERE IS ANOTHER MADDENING THING!!!

Last September we got a letter from the Philadelphia office of the IRS saying there were some discrepancies in my parents 2004 tax return and demanding they pay about $3700! I pulled out a copy of the return which is 37 pages long. Seems there were some 1099's that came in after they filed and we then did an amended return and thought that was that. Well, apparently this IRS office never saw the amended return. So, I tried to deal with the IRS via phone (30 minute hold times) and they told me we would have to submit a 2848 Power of Attorney Appointment form before they would even talk to me. I did and then worked with their CPA who has had to fax in countless copies of backup to show they owe nothing. Well, the ball is still in their court on the 2004 stuff and guess what??? Yesterday we get the same letter for a discrepancy of $1800 on their 2005 return. I called the number and because it is in a different department the lady would not talk to me because she does not have a copy of the form 2848 in her file and when I asked if she wouldn't just find the form in the other IRS file she hangs up on me! This is beginning to border on harassment!

[Radar]

I've worked with the IRS many times for many people, and I can tell you without any doubts or hesitation that it is a clusterfuck. One office doesn't know what another one is doing, and the letters you're getting are automated. The name of the agent is fictitious and so is their signature.

[rigcranop]

Originally Posted by Radar

and the letters you're getting are automated. The name of the agent is fictitious and so is their signature.

They haven't outsourced this to India yet?

[bluecuracao]

That really sucks that you have to go through that, Chris. A similar thing happened to me once, too, where I had to submit an amended return, and they supposedly never got it. It took a whole lot of back and forth, but somehow it all worked out in the end...good luck and try not to lose hope!

[xoxoxoBruce]

I went round and round with them in the 80's, when they said I owed another $300. They finally wore me down, because I didn't want to reopen may last 30 years returns, and paid the $300.

Three years later I got a letter saying I didn't owe the $300, it wasn't my fault...... but it wasn't their fault. WTF? So the letter said just fill out my choice of the four half page forms enclosed, and they would give me the $300plus interest.

The four forms were slightly different, but they were all basicly confessions to my error with four different excuses. Grrrrr.
So I send back the four forms unsigned, and a letter telling them to stick the four forms and the $300 up their collective asses.

Couple weeks later I get a check for $400 and a letter telling how the calculated the interest with a table showing the interest rate for each six month period.

Chris, can't you call the IRS and tell them you are Dad?

[BigV]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

--snip--
Chris, can't you call the IRS and tell them you are Dad?

I can say with confidence that this strategy DOES work. It also opens up a whole new world of liability/fraud. But the sweetness of the silence of the agency on the other end of the government/citizen conversation is...irresistible. Worth it.

Course it's all fun and games til somebody goes to prison.

[Kitsune]

Originally Posted by chrisinhouston

This is beginning to border on harassment!

I wish you good luck, sir. There is no hell like an IRS discrepancy. I once had an argument with my state income agency over a couple hundred dollars and it was like dealing with a brick wall. I just paid and let it go. The fight wasn't worth it.

I hope it all works out for you.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by BigV

I can say with confidence that this strategy DOES work. It also opens up a whole new world of liability/fraud. But the sweetness of the silence of the agency on the other end of the government/citizen conversation is...irresistible. Worth it.

Course it's all fun and games til somebody goes to prison.

I don't get it. Why silence on the other end, for a phone call from a taxpayer with a problem?
Giving someone power of attorny doesn't preclude you taking care of business. It just means, legally, two people have the power to conduct that business.