Taxes and the IRS

[Borderland]

I did our taxes this week.

I filed a hard copy last year and mailed it with return receipt. It took the IRS 2 months to acknowledge they received the return and another 2 months to give us the refund. So this year I decided to file online. I've done that before but not last year. I chose a service and proceeded. It was fairly painless and the software guided me to the end without a lot of problems. Our returns are fairly simple because we're both retired with most of our income is coming from investments. I get to the end and try to file but hit a wall. The software wants a PIN or a number from line 11 from my 2021 return. I couldn't find our 2021 return so I thought contacting the IRS was the way to go to get my PIN. They have some serious anti-fraud ID requirements so I tried about 5 times to get in. Nothing worked as I don't have a smart phone. I tried using my computer but the ID software rejected the scan of my face using my computer camera. OK, call IRS and explain the problem. I found this neat step by step procedure to actually get a humane to talk to. It's about 10 steps trough their menu and any wrong selection will send you to Munchkinland. So I get to talk to an actual person who works for the IRS. Now I know it's a federal agency and there are some good people working there. A close relative of mine who I admire worked for SSA for awhile until something better came along. They're pretty much wedged also but he had nothing to do with it. Anyway I explain my problem politely. The kind woman put me on hold for 7 minutes to review my returns. The take away was I had no PIN because I mailed hardcopy in 2021. I asked if she could give me one and she said no. The only way you get one is if you efile which I didn't in 2021. I would have to send in a form 1234xyz and request one. I asked how long that would take and she said she didn't know. No PIN for you although she was looking at my returns for probably the last 5 years. I must be running a scam.

Last resort is I call help/support for the software I was using. I get some good advice here. Basically I'm hosed unless I can come up with a PIN or the exact number on line 11 of my 2021 return. She explains that I had two options. Ether get the number on line 11 of the 2021 return or just mail in the hard copy and live in the dark ages.

Got it. I then tore everything out of my office storage looking for my 2021 return. I found it after looking for 20 minutes and the magic number on line 11.

The IRS sucks as an org. and I hope all the administrators burn in hell.

[JRB]

Two things I know about the IRS:

-The one time I had to call them about getting a small refund after I filed an extension, it taught me that I shouldn't bother if the refund isn't at least $500. It took about six total phone calls with a ~2hr+ hold each time only to speak to the most deliberately rude and unhelpful people I've ever spoken to on the phone. By the end of the final call I'd seen it through only to spite them. If I could have given back the $215 or whatever it was, and never have spent all those hours stressing about it or waiting on hold, I would have.

-A friend of mine had a really, really viciously mean ass GF for a long time. This girl just relished being cruel to people and would say the most offputting, low, and really mean stuff to our friend in front of all of us. She insulted us directly plenty of times as well. But of course she'd ask for our help on something 20mins later and pretend everything was cool.
She finished some kind of bullshit BA Baccalaureate and got her first 'big kid' job at the IRS as a GS-6 if memory serves, and she genuinely enjoyed her job. The knowledge that a woman of that ilk enjoyed her work told me that she got to be mean and really awful to a lot of people.
He managed to break free and found a much better gal some time later, but through the wonders that are Social Media we know that she's still working at the IRS some 10+ years later.

[Eric_L]

I did our taxes this week.

I filed a hard copy last year and mailed it with return receipt. It took the IRS 2 months to acknowledge they received the return and another 2 months to give us the refund. So this year I decided to file online. I've done that before but not last year. I chose a service and proceeded. It was fairly painless and the software guided me to the end without a lot of problems. Our returns are fairly simple because we're both retired with most of our income is coming from investments. I get to the end and try to file but hit a wall. The software wants a PIN or a number from line 11 from my 2021 return. I couldn't find our 2021 return so I thought contacting the IRS was the way to go to get my PIN. They have some serious anti-fraud ID requirements so I tried about 5 times to get in. Nothing worked as I don't have a smart phone. I tried using my computer but the ID software rejected the scan of my face using my computer camera. OK, call IRS and explain the problem. I found this neat step by step procedure to actually get a humane to talk to. It's about 10 steps trough their menu and any wrong selection will send you to Munchkinland. So I get to talk to an actual person who works for the IRS. Now I know it's a federal agency and there are some good people working there. A close relative of mine who I admire worked for SSA for awhile until something better came along. They're pretty much wedged also but he had nothing to do with it. Anyway I explain my problem politely. The kind woman put me on hold for 7 minutes to review my returns. The take away was I had no PIN because I mailed hardcopy in 2021. I asked if she could give me one and she said no. The only way you get one is if you efile which I didn't in 2021. I would have to send in a form 1234xyz and request one. I asked how long that would take and she said she didn't know. No PIN for you although she was looking at my returns for probably the last 5 years. I must be running a scam.

Last resort is I call help/support for the software I was using. I get some good advice here. Basically I'm hosed unless I can come up with a PIN or the exact number on line 11 of my 2021 return. She explains that I had two options. Ether get the number on line 11 of the 2021 return or just mail in the hard copy and live in the dark ages.

Got it. I then tore everything out of my office storage looking for my 2021 return. I found it after looking for 20 minutes and the magic number on line 11.

The IRS sucks as an org. and I hope all the administrators burn in hell.

your disorganization hurt you. i believe a person is supposed to keep 3 years of returns and support documents. For everyone reading, get a file folder box and keep them. If you send ANYTHING to the IRS, send certified.

[bofe954]

I just use turbotax. My taxes are pretty dumb and I really could do it myself but it seems to be worth the $50. Usually get my state and federal returns in a week. PDF's of my taxes are saved on my computer.

[Pacioli]

your disorganization hurt you. i believe a person is supposed to keep 3 years of returns and support documents. For everyone reading, get a file folder box and keep them. If you send ANYTHING to the IRS, send certified.

Better yet, buy a scanner and cloud backup. I have twenty five years of returns.

As to sending certified...there was a failure to file case back in the 90's that someone in my organization was defending. The agent admitted that the the taxpayers' certified envelope was received, and then said "but it was empty." The taxpasyer had moved five years prior and had thrown out return copies that were past the statute. There's no statute on failure to file, he was screwed. If he had at least had copies he could have mounted a defense.

[Eric_L]

Better yet, buy a scanner and cloud backup. I have twenty five years of returns.

As to sending certified...there was a failure to file case back in the 90's that someone in my organization was defending. The agent admitted that the the taxpayers' certified envelope was received, and then said "but it was empty." The taxpasyer had moved five years prior and had thrown out return copies that were past the statute. There's no statute on failure to file, he was screwed. If he had at least had copies he could have mounted a defense.

you put the extra sticker that comes with the certified sticker on your document(s). scan it. this is not the 90s😃

[Pacioli]

you put the extra sticker that comes with the certified sticker on your document(s). scan it. this is not the 90s😃

That's a good tip if you're still filing paper returns.

[UncleGabby]

I filed online for the first time this year, after waiting 7 months for my return last year. Can’t remember what it was called but I used the IRS’s own software, that allowed me to essentially fill in the blanks on the electronic version of the paper form. The software didn’t help at all, but I’ve never had or needed help anyway. I never got the confirmation email from the IRS, which made me nervous, but the direct deposit showed up in my account within 2 weeks so I will do this again next year if it is still available.

[Borderland]

your disorganization hurt you. i believe a person is supposed to keep 3 years of returns and support documents. For everyone reading, get a file folder box and keep them. If you send ANYTHING to the IRS, send certified.

I do. Last year I did hard copy and mailed it as an experiment to see if it was processed faster. Nope. Took even more time so went e-file again this year.

Yep, my problem. But lets say I had a fire or my records were lost in a move. Bottom line is I can still file a hard copy by mail as a last resort. But that won't get me a PIN as the IRS said it wouldn't. The IRS has my records and I could have provided them with any information they needed from 2020 or 2019, but they didn't ask. At some point they probably just disengage over the phone because of scammers.

I've never had to provide any information from a previous return to file. That's new to me.

I've resisted buying a new phone because I would only use about 5% of the apps and I don't get good cell service where I live anyway. I just don't need one.

I've been able to get a VA ID card, a pass port, a drivers license, and vote without one. I'll keep trying to get an IRS account but so far I've hit the wall.

Anyway, I know now how the IRS works.

[Borderland]

I filed online for the first time this year, after waiting 7 months for my return last year. Can’t remember what it was called but I used the IRS’s own software, that allowed me to essentially fill in the blanks on the electronic version of the paper form. The software didn’t help at all, but I’ve never had or needed help anyway. I never got the confirmation email from the IRS, which made me nervous, but the direct deposit showed up in my account within 2 weeks so I will do this again next year if it is still available.

I've used that also and it works to some degree.

A friend of mine once told me he used a lot of websites in his business and anything the fed uses to interact with the public is always sub standard and not secure. That's a real confidence builder.