The IRS

I'm a CPA.  I help people with their taxes.  Occasionally, and for whatever reason, a tax return needs to be amended.  Most of the time, the amending process goes very smoothly and everyone is happy.  When you send in an amended return, you usually get a very plain-looking letter back from the IRS that tells you that they accept or reject your amended return.  That's how it's supposed to go.  Sometimes, though, there are snags in the process.  

Earlier this year I helped a client with an amended return, and earlier this month that client got a letter from the IRS that basically said, "We processed your amended return and everything is fixed."

Eight days later, this same client got a letter from the same IRS that said this (word for word), "Our records show we received your amended tax return for the tax period listed above.  We're sorry but we can't find it, so we need your help to finish processing your tax return."

Did you catch that?  Let me replay it for you.

Them: Everything is fine.  Thanks for amending your return.  We agree with you.

[time lapse 8 days]

Them: Um... you know how we said that everything was good and stuff?  Yeah... about that.  We can't find your things now.  So we're going to need you to go ahead and help us out.

Now I have to write a letter on behalf of our client to hopefully get this situation straightened out.  I'm seriously considering suggesting they look in their filing cabinets and behind the furniture.  Maybe check under the sofa or in between the cushions.  Maybe the dog ate it?  Could be they just chucked it.  Whatever their lame reasons are... now I have to spend my time and our client's money trying to fix it.  I think I'll include a bill so the IRS can pay us and not our client.  Yeah.  That would work.

This kind of thing really makes me wonder.  You'd think an organization like the IRS would have some way of preventing this.  How this could happen?  During those 8 days did the Ogden IRS office burn to the ground?  Nope.  That probably would have made the news.  Was there a devastating tornado completely localized to their building?  Probably not.  Again.. the news.  Did they have some drunken and drug-filled rave during those eight days?  That sounds a bit more realistic, except that it's the IRS.  I don't imagine very many party animals work there.  

I think we all know how this happened...  THEY'RE IDIOTS!