topic Re: My adjusted refund from the IRS in Community Chat

My adjusted refund from the IRS

september — Fri, 09 May 2014 03:10:57 GMT

I got a multi-page letter today, saying they owe me a whopping $10.

They will send me a check in 4-6 weeks, which will probably also contain a lot of paperwork.

With manpower, postal costs, materials, etc.....I feel like I should tell them to just keep it! The cost of them returning this pittance to me far outweighs the value of me getting $10 back.

But on the other hand, I know if I owed them $10, they would spare no expense in getting me to pay up, so I guess this is just one of those things.....I just hate to see $$$ wasted this way.

Re: My adjusted refund from the IRS

occasionalrain — Fri, 09 May 2014 03:22:47 GMT

You can call them and have the $10 applied to your 2014 income tax that way they won't have to send you the check.

Re: My adjusted refund from the IRS

september — Fri, 09 May 2014 03:44:08 GMT

I guess I could, occasional rain, but that might even include more manpower costs, because then they'd have to go back and change what they're already planning on doing! There is just too much red tape.

Re: My adjusted refund from the IRS

occasionalrain — Fri, 09 May 2014 03:50:44 GMT

On 5/8/2014 september said:
I guess I could, occasional rain, but that might even include more manpower costs, because then they'd have to go back and change what they're already planning on doing! There is just too much red tape.

That's true. Didn't we have a government policy enacted to reduce paper usage several years ago? If we handled our finances like the government does we'd all be living in cardboard boxes.

Re: My adjusted refund from the IRS

september — Fri, 09 May 2014 04:06:15 GMT

I don't think they're reducing paperwork, by first sending out a letter, saying they plan on sending me a refund. Why not just send out the explanation + the refund check in one mailing?

Re: My adjusted refund from the IRS

Shorty2U — Fri, 09 May 2014 04:07:09 GMT

At least its 10 bucks.lol. I made a decimal mistake (yes I do taxes on paper yet), and they TOOK 200 BACK from us out of the measly nothing we already get. We don't get much back because A. I have money that's taxable each year so we don't get a lot even though my DH pays IN a fortune. And B. our home is soon paid off (well in 10 years), so it no longer pays us to go the long way anymore.

Re: My adjusted refund from the IRS

september — Fri, 09 May 2014 04:12:07 GMT

Shorty, I'd love to get back to a point where I could do my own taxes. I paid what the accountants said to pay, and I have to admit they came quite close to estimating the correct amount.

I won't tell them they were off by $10!

Re: My adjusted refund from the IRS

ennui1 — Fri, 09 May 2014 06:33:17 GMT

First time I've seen someone complain about a refund.

If the grocery store gave you $10, you'd be happy.

Re: My adjusted refund from the IRS

voyager1980 — Fri, 09 May 2014 07:00:09 GMT

Googled it::: Paperwork Reduction Act was enacted in 1980 & just updated a couple times in later years (:

Re: My adjusted refund from the IRS

kivah — Fri, 09 May 2014 12:57:04 GMT

$10 is nothing. Think about the tens of millions that the IRS mails out to scammers. That bothers me!!!!

Re: My adjusted refund from the IRS

terrier3 — Fri, 09 May 2014 13:03:03 GMT

There were no clerks sitting at desks pouring over your return and finding you $10 extra.

It's all done by computers now.

Why are they sending you a check? Don't you have direct deposit?

Re: My adjusted refund from the IRS

Cakers1 — Fri, 09 May 2014 15:19:30 GMT

On 5/8/2014 september said:
I don't think they're reducing paperwork, by first sending out a letter, saying they plan on sending me a refund. Why not just send out the explanation + the refund check in one mailing?

Because that would make too much sense. lol

Although I suppose they are letting you know in advance to watch for the check in the mail or your bank account if you did direct deposit for your original refund.

Re: My adjusted refund from the IRS

Madame Lorrraine — Fri, 09 May 2014 15:32:53 GMT

On 5/8/2014 september said:
I guess I could, occasional rain, but that might even include more manpower costs, because then they'd have to go back and change what they're already planning on doing! There is just too much red tape.

You're overthinking this. If you find you can't avoid having the refund forced on you, donate it and get it off your conscience.

Re: My adjusted refund from the IRS

pinkskates4 — Fri, 09 May 2014 15:34:50 GMT

Why not do direct deposit?

Re: My adjusted refund from the IRS

Mj12 — Fri, 09 May 2014 15:35:32 GMT

On 5/8/2014 ennui1 said:
First time I've seen someone complain about a refund.

Yep. Wish we got one.

Re: My adjusted refund from the IRS

september — Fri, 09 May 2014 15:41:14 GMT

On 5/9/2014 Cakers1 said:
On 5/8/2014 september said:
I don't think they're reducing paperwork, by first sending out a letter, saying they plan on sending me a refund. Why not just send out the explanation + the refund check in one mailing?

Because that would make too much sense. lol

Although I suppose they are letting you know in advance to watch for the check in the mail or your bank account if you did direct deposit for your original refund.

Yes, thanks for "getting it"!

No, I never complained about getting a refund (although I wish it could be a substantial one). My comment was about the amount of paperwork involved (2 mailings) vs. such a small amount.

We've never set up direct deposit with the IRS. In the event we're owed anything, our instructions are to apply the credit to the next quarter's estimates. I don't know why they're not doing that, and I don't think I'm going to pursue it further, since it's only $10.

Re: My adjusted refund from the IRS

millieshops — Fri, 09 May 2014 16:02:24 GMT

One reason they send you notice about a check coming (and many big checks as well as little ones do go out) is that too many people don't open government mail before tossing it. This way you know to open the envelope and go have breakfast at Mickey D's with your refund.

And, please, don't want companies and governments to keep your little refunds. They're yours!

BTW- I hope OP's CPA didn't estimate her taxes. That was the word she used, but I think they made an error and somewhere in the paperwork there should be a reason she's getting the refund - and since I pay decent money to my CPA, I would tell her about the error just as I would if I owed an extra $10. They need to know what they're doing that IRS doesn't agree with.

Re: My adjusted refund from the IRS

september — Fri, 09 May 2014 17:15:31 GMT

Millie... Mickey D's for breakfast. Lol! I actually might take another poster's suggestion, and donate it to "the guy at the corner", that I pass each day.

But as for estimated taxes, that's an IRS term. Since we're self-employed, we pay quarterly tax estimates. Income is variable, thus the term "estimate". Some years, we overpay, some years, we underpay. I'd say coming within $10 is good.

So, the CPA did not make an error, but I will include the IRS letter in next year's tax file. When I said I wouldn't tell her, I was thinking there was no immediate need to do so.

Well, I better get to work!

Re: My adjusted refund from the IRS

boby — Fri, 09 May 2014 23:20:42 GMT

Back in the days when they still had the "Marital penalty" and you needed a separate form to claim the deduction, they lost that form on me. I got a letter saying I owed them over $800. A very long letter.

When I refiled the form I got a computer printout (at least 24 pages) saying they now owed me 79 cents, but that they didn't refund anything less than a dollar. In those days a lot of companies and agencies didn't have independent computers - they were on time share for which we all paid.

How much time and money do you think they wasted for 48 pages of computer printouts to tell me they owed me 79 cents?

Re: My adjusted refund from the IRS

september — Fri, 09 May 2014 23:32:10 GMT

Boby, all those pages to tell you they weren't going to refund your 79 cents? Hilarious! Maybe they really have reduced their paperwork, because I only got 4 pages, telling me I would get $10, at some point in the future.