IRS after 4 cents - Govt at "work"
 

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v/r
JAGO



http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/13/260...-car-wash.html

Bob Shallit: IRS visits Sacramento carwash in pursuit of 4 cents
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Buzz up!By Bob Shallit
bshallit@sacbee.com The Sacramento Bee
Published: Saturday, Mar. 13, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 1B
Last Modified: Saturday, Mar. 13, 2010 - 9:58 am
It was every businessperson's nightmare.

Arriving at Harv's Metro Car Wash in midtown Wednesday afternoon were two dark-suited IRS agents demanding payment of delinquent taxes. "They were deadly serious, very aggressive, very condescending," says Harv's owner, Aaron Zeff.

The really odd part of this: The letter that was hand-delivered to Zeff's on-site manager showed the amount of money owed to the feds was ... 4 cents.

Inexplicably, penalties and taxes accruing on the debt – stemming from the 2006 tax year – were listed as $202.31, leaving Harv's with an obligation of $202.35.

Zeff, who also owns local parking lots and is the president of the Midtown Business Association, finds the situation a bit comical.

"It's hilarious," he says, "that two people hopped in a car and came down here for just 4 cents. I think (the IRS) may have a problem with priorities."

Now he's trying to figure out how penalties and interest could climb so high on such a small debt. He says he's never been told he owes any taxes or that he's ever incurred any late-payment penalties in the four years he's owned Harv's.

In fact, he provided us with an Oct. 22, 2009, letter from the IRS that states Harv's "has filed all required returns and addressed any balances due."

IRS spokesman Jesse Weller isn't commenting "due to privacy and disclosure laws."

Zeff says he's as offended as much as anything else by what he considers rude behavior by the IRS guys. While at Harv's, he sniffs, "they didn't even get a car wash."

I wonder if they were carrying their shiny new shotguns?:rolleyes:

Ahh yes. The convenient privacy laws....

It's crazy - and how a 4 cents "works" its way up to $200?????:eek:

I was out in Oki in the mid-80s. I had a student loan and sent them a check to pay it all off. The APO took its time with my letter and during the delay some interest accrued.

About a month later, I got a letter saying I still owed $0.11 in interest. I couldn't believe it - they spent $0.22 on a stamp plus the admin time and the paperwork to go after $.011!!!

So, I wrote them back telling them that I pay all of my debts, but I was having a bit of a hard time right now, so I asked if they would enter into a repayment agreement for the remainder of my student loan;)

About a month later, I got a letter back (another $0.22) saying they couldn't do that. I figure they had to "staff" my request and it took a couple weeks to find a bureaucratis supervisor to say "no".

I wrote them back asking if I could pay it by providing them with postage stamps because I didn't want to write a check for $0.11.

They wrote back saying that they couldn't take stamps - and not to put change in the letter, either (I guess they had caught on to me!).

So I wrote back with a check made out for a dollar.

About 6 weeks later they wrote back with a refund check for $0.89.


......and we are seriously thinking about turning over all our healthcare to them,,,,,,

v/r
phil

Agree JAGO....Fed is not a business.

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Outstanding tax payment: $.04

Excessive Fees and Penalties: $202.31

2 Government Employees x 2 hours work: $133.48 (GS-11/5 Sacramento locality)


Ignoring political appointees who owe millions......PRICELESS



Yeah, I can see how healthcare will do well under Fed control.....

Guys,

Reminds me of a similar experience with such a bureaucratic mindset when undergoing some winter warfare exercises in Alaska.

We jumped in near Fairbanks, drew some arctic gear, and went on our merry way north towards the Brooks Range.

Six weeks later we returned and took our gear back to the PBO for turn-in prior to boarding our C-141 for the return flight to Fort Bragg. I had forgotten a small plastic waterproof match container in my ruck and didn't have it for turn-in. There wasn't enough time to go get it, so I offered to pay for it - original cost new was about $0.36 and the depreciation made it $0.18. The CW2 supply warrant wasn't set up for a cash payment and wouldn't write the $0.18 off - so I had to sign a statement of charges.

Three months later, my EOM statement reflected the $0.18 deduction.

I always wondered how much it cost to process that $0.18 and have used it since as an example of just how stupid a rule can get when interpreted without being tempered by common sense.

And so it goes...

Richard's $.02 :munchin