# Government in Action



## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Here's a government department at it's finest.

In Sept I got a letter from the Colorado Department of Revenue saying that I had been previously notified that I owed them $46 (I hadn't been notified) and now this was a final determination that I owed $46 since I had not responded. So since with tax authorities you are guilty until YOU prove you are innocent of making an unknown mistake to a biased government worker I decided I'll just pay the $46. To busy to spend hours on hold finding out why I owed $46. So I mailed a check. 2 days later I get a letter from the Dept. of Revenue apologizing for the Final determination letter as there was a mistake on their part that the first notice didn't go out. It said if you feel the final determination was wrong you could file for an extension. But if you felt it was correct then send the money. Ok too late. I had already paid the $46. First part of October I get a check from the Colorado Department of Revenue for........$46! No reason, no letter explaining why. So I figured (wrongly) that maybe they figured I didn't owe the $46 and were sending it back. After all the IRS did that earlier in the year. The IRS sent me back $141 since Turbotax figured I had a penalty since I didn't pay estimate taxes and I didn't catch it.

So yesterday I get in the mail a letter from the Colorado Department of Revenue a Notice of Deficiency for $51. Which included interest from the past $46 I hadn't paid!. *sigh*.


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## NewBerlinBaler (May 30, 2011)

When things get this screwed up, it's best to talk with someone face-to-face. In Pennsylvania, the PA Department of Revenue has regional offices. Colorado probably does also.

A few years ago, the IRS refund check didn't show up. By late summer, I figured it got lost somewhere. I called their 800 number and was put on hold for an hour (no exaggeration - an hour), then they disconnected me. So I visited the nearest IRS field office which is about an hour away. Long story short, the woman at the counter helped me get everything sorted out - I had filed an amended return that year (my first time) and did it incorrectly. I my defense, the instructions were not very clear. Yes, it cost me an afternoon - but it was worth it. I got a 5-figure refund.

Gary


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

NewBerlinBaler said:


> When things get this screwed up, it's best to talk with someone face-to-face. In Pennsylvania, the PA Department of Revenue has regional offices. Colorado probably does also.
> 
> A few years ago, the IRS refund check didn't show up. By late summer, I figured it got lost somewhere. I called their 800 number and was put on hold for an hour (no exaggeration - an hour), then they disconnected me. So I visited the nearest IRS field office which is about an hour away. Long story short, the woman at the counter helped me get everything sorted out - I had filed an amended return that year (my first time) and did it incorrectly. I my defense, the instructions were not very clear. Yes, it cost me an afternoon - but it was worth it. I got a 5-figure refund.
> 
> Gary


And that 5 figure refund is much more then an incentive then $51


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

One year I paid my taxes, seen that the checks cleared the bank and gave it no more thought till the end of August when I received a tax warrant in the mail from the state.

Have a local branch office in the county seat so took the canceled check and a printout from Turbotax with me. Spent about an hour trying to convince the rocket scientist that was working the counter that I did pay my taxes on time, here's the cancelled check and that they screwed up on their end. Even mailed them in early that year as it was cashed in plenty of time before the deadline. Finally got them to see the light, and they admitted that somebody downstate must have credited the payment to the wrong social security number, but they still insisted that I owed a penalty with interest. Had to wait a bit for their supervisor to get back in the office. Finally got that straightened out that no, I didn't owe anything more.

Spent a bit more time convincing them they needed to give me an order of expungement so I could get the tax warrant off the public record as the whole thing was their fault and I wasn't about to have that turn up on a credit report. FINALLY got that and they offered to handle all that which I politely declined. Took the expungement order personally to the St Joseph County courthouse and handled all that in person. Got a copy of the order while there along with a notarized receipt.

Since then I've filed all my taxes and payments electronically and haven't had a problem since.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

mlappin said:


> One year I paid my taxes, seen that the checks cleared the bank and gave it no more thought till the end of August when I received a tax warrant in the mail from the state.
> 
> Have a local branch office in the county seat so took the canceled check and a printout from Turbotax with me. Spent about an hour trying to convince the rocket scientist that was working the counter that I did pay my taxes on time, here's the cancelled check and that they screwed up on their end. Even mailed them in early that year as it was cashed in plenty of time before the deadline. Finally got them to see the light, and they admitted that somebody downstate must have credited the payment to the wrong social security number, but they still insisted that I owed a penalty with interest. Had to wait a bit for their supervisor to get back in the office. Finally got that straightened out that no, I didn't owe anything more.
> 
> ...


I do it all electronically also, but I don't trust them with my bank account info for this $51. They are liable to withdraw more. We don't have local offices besides the Denver office and I just don't want to mess around going there for $51. It would cost me $20 or more just to go and come back and maybe parking fees in addition to that.


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