An actual positive experience with the IRS! March 4, 2006 at 10:23 am
[ Viewing: 
“Star Trek Voyager – The Complete Seventh Season” (Jonathan Frakes, Anson Williams) ]
Yes, you read that right, I actually had a positive experience with the IRS. So in effect, this is almost an anti-rant…
A couple weeks ago I received a form from the IRS informing me that my 2004 taxes had a problem. My filed income didn’t match what had been submitted to them from employers and such. I had sold some options in 2004 and had the taxes withheld by my employer just as I had in the past. For some reason, E-trade filed a 1099-B this time listing the sales, worse they were listed at their gross sale values and listed taxes withheld as none. This had never happened in the past when I’d sold options, clearly something had changed at E-trade. I remember noting this when I did my taxes, but since I couldn’t find a way to list options sold yet mark them as already covered in another income stream, and I’d sold options in the past and didn’t have to list them, so I didn’t worry at the time.
Anyway, I only had a few days left before the deadline for responding to the form, so I called the listed number to get an extension in order to talk to a tax person to find out the best way to respond to ensure no more problems. After about 10 minutes of voicemail menus, then a good 20 minutes more of recordings, I got to sit on hold and listen to the Nutcracker Suite on hold for another 1/2 hour or so. Finally I got to a human.
After a few minutes explaining what the deal was and asking what I needed to do to get an extension, the support person offered to fix the issue for me… if I wanted. Of course I said yes. After a few minutes of hearing him typing he came back to let me know that he’d filled in the information to clear up the problem, I should get an official response from the IRS within 30 days letting me know the issue is fixed, and that was it.
Here I was expecting to have to deal with a bunch of tax law crap, pay for a CPA to help refile an amended return, etc. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone having such a positive experience with the IRS or their support staff, but I guess there’s s first time for everything.
Same exact experience. I was flabbergasted.
I have to say, your comment (found through a google search) made me call the IRS before going and getting an expensive rework of my taxes.
I just want to thank you!
Bob