IRS - IMPOSSIBLE phone call Instructions - In the news see post 14

[Bekeart]

IRS - IMPOSSIBLE phone call Instructions

I received a form letter from IRS telling me that in a previous letter they had

changed the amount claimed as a Credit on my 2020 tax return do to one or more types of errors

This letter did not include any details and only may name and address showed any personalization beyond Occupant or Current Resident.

I have no knowledge of any previous letter.


None of the listed errors seemed to apply except for possibly Computed Incorrectly. Tax prep done was by trained VITA crew.

If you agree with the changes we made, you don't need to take further action.
If you don't agree, call 800-xxx-xxxx
(Press 1 for English or 2 for Spanish,
then Press 1 for notice received,
then Press 3 to speak with a representative

I tried calling 800 - xxx - xxxx
Pressed 1 for English
Pressed 1 for Notice Received
Pressed 3 for All Others
Entered Social Security Number
Pressed 1 for Correct
Pressed 5 for Review
Was Asked to Enter my PIN.
I do NOT have a PIN
I hung up.

[Sarcasm]Truly Amazing service.[/Sarcasm]

Bekeart

 

[Greyman50]

IMHO, would Never call. Would have my CPA take care of such, or only reply via certified or registered mail. Way to many scams today.

 

[Onomea]

FWIW, I needed a document from the IRS attesting to my 2020 tax residency. Sent in the application along with the $80 fee in December. They sent me back a letter in February, hard to understand, but which I finally understood to mean that they wanted me to add a single sentence to my statement attesting to my residency. So, I did that, and sent off the revised application along with a copy of their letter to me. A couple of months later, April, they sent me another letter to say since they hadn't heard back, they were cancelling my application and keeping my $80.

There was a number to call. I called, and after 45 minutes of trying got absolutely nowhere. It was always busy.

So, I sent 'em another letter, along with copies of correspondence to include my revised application, politely stating that I had indeed replied as requested, and that I would appreciate them not cancelling my application and giving me their certificate of 2020 residency as paid for.

A couple of months later, June, I got the residency certificate.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I get letters similar to that every year from the city and sometimes the state. Usually concerning some form that wasn't included. A CPA has done my taxes since I was 14. I stuff it in an envelope and off t the CPA it goes.

During the pandemic shutdown we got a progressively nastier letter every month, turns out there was nobody in the building to read their mail (all work from home!)

Like my CPA said, if they were any good at accounting, they wouldn't be working for the government!

I have an aunt that has done H&R Block tax preparation for over 40 years (I wouldn't let her touch my taxes if she paid me to!) Her comment about the escalating letter was that it was a form of "make-work"!

Ivan

 

[SmithNut]

Let's hope you verified that 800# as being an IRS number before entering your social security number....
Scammers are out there and getting more creative in their approach.....

 

[mtgianni]

You have had to have a 5 digit pin to file electronically for the last 3-4 years. IRS will never call you. They will either send you a letter as they did, or show up and arrest you after several letters. Talk to your preparer and get your pin.

 

[Bekeart]

Google verified the number.

Let's hope you verified that 800# as being an IRS number before entering your social security number....
Scammers are out there and getting more creative in their approach.....

I did suspect a scam.
Google did verify the number as belonging to IRS.

I sent a letter.
If not resolved I will have the VITA crew get involved.

Bekeart

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

The IRS has sent out millions (They admit to less than 10 million, but we suspect there are more) of erroneous letters as the PPP programs extended child credit have "taxed" their personnel and computer resources to the limit. I would mail them a letter of protest (certified mail) indicating your disagreement. The real IRS does not generally ask you to call.

 

[biku324]

I pay a professional $200 per year to handle my taxes and deduct it.

 

[charlie sherrill]

Wait until they start trying to oversee each $600.00 transaction in your personal bank account. They already try to do this with amounts $10,000.00 and over and it is a burden on bank employees and probably IRS employees. How many billions of transactions will be involved? Who thought this is a good idea? If this passes it is going to be a giant cluster and a huge job killer. It will be an extreme invasion of privacy and will send much of the economy (the part it doesn't destroy) underground. Contact your congress critters on this, I did.

As far as contacting the IRS? Almost impossible. My son recently had issues with them proving who he is and that he is still alive. After several cancelled appointments (by the IRS) we had to drive over 100 miles to an office in downtown Jackson,Ms., surviving road rage while there, so he could show them his driver license to prove who he was and that he still existed. Never had this happen before. He's lived in the same place for over 20 years.

 

[03hemi]

I did suspect a scam.
Google did verify the number as belonging to IRS.

I sent a letter.
If not resolved I will have the VITA crew get involved.

Bekeart

Ever heard of "Burner Accounts?"
Could still be a scam using the actual legitimate source too?

 

[walkin jack]

I have always wanted to name something. I finally got my chance a while back. All this telephone rig-a-roll, press 1, press this, press that...I call it "phone tag". I gave it that name but I don't play it very well. I have had more than one occasion where I spent a half hour or longer trying to make a call.

My favorite thing is when the spend several minutes telling me how much they love me and how vitally important my call is to them. And this message repeats after about a minute of elevator music...over and over and over, ad infinitum.

I'd like to say to them: If you love me so much and want my call so desperately, Why don't you HIRE SOMEONE TO ANSWER THE PHONE!"

I despise this but I know it is only going to get worse.

 

[Bullet Bob]

I received the same letter, but had no problems getting through the menu. But, it took three days because when I'd get to the point I could talk to a rep, I'd get a recording that they were all busy so the call was being terminated. A pin was not requested.

They had changed the amount sent this year from the amount Turbo Tax said I was due, but I didn't sweat it, it's not like I get very much back in any case. I figured that was what the letter was about, but I wanted to make sure they weren't claiming I owed them anything in addition.

When I finally reached someone, that was the case, she said it had to do with one of the $600.00 stimulus checks that the government sent out, and when it was received. The letter didn't state that, and was wrong in other ways; it had boilerplate statements about my reportable income being over a certain amount that was incorrect. I wish it was right.

 

[Bekeart]

IRS Letters in the news

Surprise! You may owe the IRS money because of a 'math error'

If you get a letter from the IRS that says you owe money because of a math error, pay attention. You could get one of four kinds of letters: CP 11, CP 12, CP 13, or letter 6470. None of them is likely to contain good news.

The Taxpayer Advocate Service says 9 million Americans have gotten notices from the IRS that say the government is billing them for payment due to a "math error." 7.4 million of the errors were due to pandemic-era stimulus overpayments.

But wait, there's more.

[Lots more details in the article at the following link]

Poynter is SERIOUS journalism.


Surprise! You may owe the IRS money because of a 'math error' – Poynter

Bekeart

 

[Onomea]

Hmm. Why am I not surprised....

 

[billwill]

Remember that most of those employees are products of the public school system. Be nice.

 

[S&W Fan]

My idiot cpa neglected to factor in my mortgage interest and I was a bigger idiot and didn't notice, filed electronically. In March he caught the error and filed an amended. The irs received it on March 29, my small refund arrived by paper check yesterday.

What a system. If I use the same guy next year I'll be more vigilant, been with him 9 years, I'll look more closely before he hits "send".

 

[TheHobbyist]

Please. Hard stop. Do not say IRS in the mirror three times...trust me, I've been there.

 

[TheHobbyist]

To the OP, in all seriousness, consider getting a sound accountant. I had an excellent group (former agents) until they retired their business (after retiring from IRS). Each person's situation is unique. They did a great job for me for many years, until they were 'done' but still accepting clients if that makes sense...basically 'checked out'. This is not financial advice. Ask around...

 

[Gaffer]

In fighting an IRS complaint I discovered my accounted had let his stste license elapse and filed a charge against him. It went all the way ri a hearing where he appeared with his attorney before the state board who found him negligent andfined him. I'm sure it cost him plenty and for once the little guy won.