death and taxes

[mckitterick]

Just found a letter from the IRS today: We got audited on our 2005 taxes. Audits: They're not just for rich folks anymore. Seems that the return we filed back then had some errors; thank goodness nowhere near as bad as they suggest, so instead of owing many thousands, we'll owe a few hundred, I'm guessing.

Ass-hat IRS auditors... why don't they go after the richy-rich, instead?

Chris

EDIT: I discovered that feeling like you owe a large percentage of your take-home income encourages one to eat most of a large Hershey's Milk Chocolate with Almonds bar. *burp* That and the caffeine will help me teach soon. Wheeee!

Comments

[themitigator.livejournal.com]

"ass-hat irs auditors..."

hahahahaha!

[nottygypsy.livejournal.com]

yeah they sent a brat on a bicycle after me for their 175$ I'm not going to break the government here people.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Laugh now, sure; we'll see how you feel when they do it to you, Ms. Sprint Golden Handcuffs....

*g*

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

This was a much more epic screw-up: They think I made, let's see, about $20,000 more than I really did that year. Holy crap, lions! But it's more like $1400 more than we reported. I guess they want to grab your attention so that the lesser amount seems like a bargain.

Ass hats.

[astein142.livejournal.com]

...why don't they go after the richy-rich, instead?

Because the richy-rich have expensive lawyers and make high-dollar campaign donations? Just sayin'...

[weaselmom.livejournal.com]

Okay, that cracked me up. Did he keep yelling, "I want my one hundred and seventy five dollars!!!!"?

[weaselmom.livejournal.com]

They do go after the richy-rich. Upstairs gets audited every single year. But I am sorry that it's happening to you guys as well. Lord, what a hassle.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Ah, okay, as long as I wasn't being singled out or anything while they were getting away with millions tax-free. Still, crap.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Didn't I see that in a movie somewhere, only it was a dollar-seventy-five?

[shellyinseattle.livejournal.com]

Audits overall are up, and the IRS finally changed their policy to go after bigger bucks more often.

[theoneinblue.livejournal.com]

Are you thinking of that Mel Gibson flick, "Payback"? Only it was more than a $1.75...

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

That sucks.

Actually, I'm pretty sure there have been instructions to leave the filthy ones alone and go after people who get tax credits, but policies ebb and flow.

[smirkingone.livejournal.com]

I remember it as the newspaper boy on the bicycle in Better Off Dead. He was trying to get his two dollars.

[arian1.livejournal.com]

They gotta fund the war effort man.

[gryphonrose.livejournal.com]

Interesting--I received one today as well. Clearly it's their new fundraising strategy: "Quick, audit all the writers! They can't do math!"

[secret-malady.livejournal.com]

Audits: They're not just for rich folks anymore

I'm wondering if they audit rich people at ALL. They seem to bother with middle class people, and even lower class folks. When I lived in Austin the woman who had her plot next to mine at the community garden was a big wig for the IRS, about to retire. She agreed that the IRS spends their money going after middle class, and even lower class people...even if they spend more money than they get back they've got to teach a LESSON to "those people."

[geekmom.livejournal.com]

I'm betting self employment earnings is probably one of those things that is more likely to trigger an audit. Last year Harold's uncle started doing ours, so I really, really hope they don't decide we filed ours all wrong.

*hides from mailbox*

[weaselmom.livejournal.com]

Yep, they do. See my comment above: Our founder (one of the richest of the rich) gets audited every year. We have a whole team in the tax department dedicated to prepping for the audit, going through the audit, recovering from the audit, you name it. All audit, all the time.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

I loved that movie!

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

I don't think I ever saw that, though lots of people loved it, I hear.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I suppose there's a cost-benefit thing going on there....

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

I wonder why they don't just do it for us, then... I mean, think of all the trouble that would save everyone! And no more tax-dodgers.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

True; in that case, they should audit the war supporters.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Ha - I can see that. Plus, as Geekmom says, self-employment means weird taxes and likelihood of errors. *sigh*

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Good lord. Again I ask: Why doesn't the IRS just automate tax collection? I mean, businesses already report earnings, so what's with all this IRS crap and filling out tax forms every year? Sheesh.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Niiiice.

[stuology.livejournal.com]

I discovered that feeling like you owe a large percentage of your take-home income encourages one to eat most of a large Hershey's Milk Chocolate with Almonds bar.

I feel that way everytime I look at my paycheck stub. Hell, after paying taxes and benefits, I only get to bring home 45% of my pay. And then we still end up paying some taxes during filing time.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Geez, what good is having all those little squalling red-heads if they don't save you some tax money? Sheesh.

*g*

[stuology.livejournal.com]

If you use software, some people are also able to download their w2s, so they don't even have to enter any of that.

Oh, and do you really trust the government to automate tax filing? I don't. I want to see that form before it gets sent in. Plus, deductions. They don't really know.

[stuology.livejournal.com]

Ada should be worth two exemptions, at least.

[gryphonrose.livejournal.com]

Very true. The SE stuff is a royal pain. That's not what they're after me about, though. They say I had a large dividend that I didn't report. They might be right, too--it was almost two years ago, after all--but if so it's because the brokerage never sent me the forms to file with my return. I plan to check tomorrow.

[kylielee1000.livejournal.com]

WELCOME TO MY FRACKIN' WORLD.

The IRS thinks I owe them $25,000 from 2005. My CPA is all over it. But man, I'm freakin' out.

[secret-malady.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm aware that they are required to audit businesses and organizations regularly, but it doesn't seem like they spend much time auditing the assets and income of highly wealthy individuals as they do middle to lower class individuals and families. Maybe that's because, like you mentioned, those people also can afford a "whole team" dedicated to cooking their books.

[roya-spirit.livejournal.com]

Yikes.
If it's any consolation, (and I know it's not, now that I just said that) the professor I used to work for got audited eight years in a row. He finally made some sort of harassment complaint about it and they stopped. But I'm sure it had a lot to do with his home business.

[weaselmom.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I think any return with any complexity at all is likely to get audited, regardless of amount of income. Self-employed or freelancer? Lots of deductions with values in gray areas? Boom. We're lucky (if you call it that) - we're not parents or homeowners, no investments or dividends or anything. The IRS form we use might as well say: (1) How much money did you make last year? (2) Do you have any money left over? (3) Send it in.

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

Ugh, and I thought mine was bad because they confiscated 40 % or more. I deduct single and zero, and I have not had to pay anything to the feds, ever.