IRS issue.....

[rdcl]

Ok, so I come home from work the other day and find one of those pink slips in my mailbox, you know.....the one that says "sorry, we missed you"......and it indicates that there is a certified letter from the IRS, for me, at the post office.eek

.....Well being too late in the evening I have to wait until the next day to go and pick it up, and to say the least......I begin to become damn concerned as to exactly WHY the IRS is sending me a certified letter (such letters can NEVER be good news, I'm thinking). The suspense waiting until the following day was incredible.

In the meantime I begin to just sit and THINK. Did I goof on last years form? Impossible.
Every year I fill out 1040EZ, Refund every year, I'm single, own NO property and live in an apartment. My taxes are ridiculously simple to file so I'm thinking how on earth could I have made a mistake, right?

So the next day I go to pick up my letter. It is indeed addressed to me. I take it home. I open it and read, again....my name , my address. The letter is an warning regarding an intent to levy if an amount of $1500.00 is not paid immediately. I'm thinking no way can this be correct......so I look the letter over for a phone number to call and I notice right away some other info, one of which is that the SS# is NOT my SS#.(!) Also.....the the tax form in question was an 1040A.......which I'd never filled out in my life. The $1500.00, is apparantly owed from the year 2008.

Long story short......the letter was meant for my deceased father, not I.....whom passed away in 2009. I had no idea dad had a tax debt. My name is exactly the same as my father.

Well, I call the phone number on the letter and explained my situation. The IRS rep. was very friendly, I must say.....offered condolences regarding my deceased father and stated that I need not worry. She asked for specific information on the letter which I gave her then stated that the confusion likely lies in the fact that my name is the same.

I indicated that I had absolutely nothing to do with my fathers estate or funeral arrangements upon his passing. (my sister handled every thing) She then told me that I need to send a brief letter explaining exactly what I told her, along with a copy of my fathers death certificate, and I did just that.
Now I'll wait and see what kind of response I'll get.

Here is a question I have that I forgot to ask the rep. on the phone......and while I realize you guys are not IRS reps.....the question still nags!


Question: Everyone knows that the IRS indentifies tax payers not only by name, but more importantly.....by their SS#.
So how is it possible that they mistake ME for my father? Or perhaps.....maybe they may think my father is still living?


If anyone here has had a simular experience, I'd like your opinions.

best regards,
Russ

 

[bullmack]

Your dad's death should be on file with them - it pretty much happens automatically assuming that there was a death certificate. I agree that the SSN should not have allowed the notice to go to you. On the other hand government agencies aren't know for their efficiencies. I have handled two estates in the past 10 years and the stuff that pops out long after the estates are closed never ceases to amaze.

Make sure you obtain copy of your dad's DC and include it with any written communication that you send in.

 

[rdcl]

Make sure you obtain copy of your dad's DC and include it with any written communication that you send in.

I did exactly that. The rep on the phone said to write a brief letter and include DC copy.

(I also kept my own copy of the letter I sent)

Russ

 

[LoadEmUp]

Since your name is exactly the same as your Fathers, they may have simply looked up the address - and bingo your address shows up. So they send the letter hoping to find your Father.

They may have sent other letters to the address on your Fathers tax return and not received a reply, or it was returned because anyone living there would not have been able to ( or wouldn't ) sign for the letter.

Either way, it seems like you handled it well and it should work itself out.

 

[Iggy]

Doo-doo-doodoo!!! Someone owes us money and we've got your number.. Tra-la-la!!!

 

[Biginge]

Was your Father a Social Security recipient? If so, someone had to notify them to stop his monthly checks and additionally, they pay, I believe, $255.00 death benefit. One would think, if this if fact did happen, that the SS Admin. would cross over to the IRS, but maybe that is expecting too much?

 

[Marine Corps Air]

Russ,

First & foremost, you handled this situation perfectly. Among the worst actions that a taxpayer can do is ignore a letter, and be rude to the IRS representative.

Can you look in the upper right hand corner of the letter and identify the correspondence code? It should begin with "CP" and then have two numbers and possibly a letter after the numbers. You can send it to me in a PM if you wish. I have the codes and can explain the purpose of the letter afterwards.

It is odd to me that you received a "Notice of Intent to Levy." "Levy" (insofar as the IRS is concerned) is a notice that they intend to seize your assets and any other property that you own to satisfy tax deficiencies. Here is the link: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p594.pdf See page 5. This does tell me that the IRS has probably been attempting to resolve this matter for quite some time. It is the least desirable outcome for a taxpayer, and the IRS.

From my own professional experience (36 years), I can tell you that they do make mistakes. My best guess is that whoever initiated and processed the letter to you looked at your name, ignored the SSAN and address differences, and began the collection process.

It reminds me of a saying at a former employer, "We shoot from the hip, but we often shoot ourselves in the foot first!"

I hope that this information helps.

 

[Onomea]

And I bet good old Dad is high fivin' his fellow angels in heaven, pointin' down, and sayin', "Ha Ha! Beat the tax man!"

 

[feralmerril]

Not the same but: I and my ex split the end of 1985. Thats 28 years ago. I still get mail (advertising and bills) and phone calls at least weekly!
I cant count the times I have sent the mail back, called people etc.
Just a few nights ago I got a call from some veterans outfit trying to get a donation and being very pushy. I smelled a con and talked a little while. At some point the guy mentioned my ex`s first name was on his list and thats why he asked for "Mr" feralmerril. She remarried right after we divorced in 1986. This still happens at least once every two weeks!

 

[deadin]

Lets see.. They had a name and SSN. They needed an address. You can't get an address with a SSN, so they looked up the name. If your name is the same as your fathers, I assume you don't use "Jr." since he died.
Perfectly understandable. (Besides, you didn't need that nights sleep....).

 

[PA Guns & Ammo]

IRS thugs are coming armed in the middle of the night to your door with M4's pointed at your face. Get ready!! Even though I'm being sarcastic, it would not surprise me if they pulled a stunt like this.

James

 

[vytoland]

turn the entire matter over to whom ever handled your fathers estate and had the final tax returns prepared.

 

[cussedemgun]

Too much info = doubt

Long story short......the letter was meant for my deceased father, not I.....whom passed away in 2009. I had no idea dad had a tax debt.

They asked for a "brief" letter in explanation. The error is theirs, let them deal with their own records. Long excuses will only create doubt, SO -:

On the letter to IRS, state that you signed for & received their letter (com. # & date) in error. State the intended recipient is in fact deceased (include death certificate).

Any further communication from IRS, mark it "deceased, return to sender".

 

[rdcl]

I appreciate every ones opinions. Thanks.


Russ