Man gets tax refund check for $599.99

AP via Boston Globe ^ | September 7, 2001

[sarcasm]

LAKE SHORE, Minn. -- A retired Honeywell engineer expected to receive a federal tax rebate of $600, but his check from the IRS was a penny short.

Days after Philip Gallion got a check for $599.99, he received a four-page letter from the IRS explaining that his rebate had been reduced to cover interest he owed on an underpayment of his 2000 taxes.

[Demosthenes]

Of course, had it been missed for another year or two, the interest would have compounded into what, three, four hundred thousand dollars?

[LarryLied]

Events such as this is why we have Delta Force and the FBI hostage rescue team.

It is always the little things which drive people crazy.

[monkeyshine]

The computer can't write it off. You have to go into the computer (or onto the computer is it?) and remove it. When we write off someone's bad debt, we write a credit memo to zero out the balance due. Why can't the IRS do the same thing?

[Dog Gone]

That's funny. I got a check for $600.01. I figured it was because they liked me.

I need a different theory.

[Malcolm]

I haven't gotten my check yet; I'm hoping that they somehow don't screw up my check. With the IRS, anything is possible....

[sarcasm]

Once I sent American Express a check that was a penny short - I had no charges the following month but they threatened to cancel my account if I didn't send them the penny.

[Republican Wildcat]

I once received a phone bill for .01. I couldn't believe it--they wasted more money to send the bill than they collected. They said it was a late charge for paying a .10 phone bill a couple of days late. Oh well. Taped a penny to the bill and sent it in. I guess they are satisfied now. :-)

[RnMomof7]

This is obviously a matter for the UN police to take care of..first its pennies..before you know it these folks could expect the right to bear arms...give me a break....our government at it's finest

[aruanan]

Of course, had it been missed for another year or two, the interest would have compounded into what, three, four hundred thousand dollars?

Well, one time I was told that I had underpaid by an amount under a couple dollars and that with penalties and interest owed about $38, even though some IRS publication said that the amount recovered couldn't exceed some percent of the amount owed. I just paid it since it was worth not going through the aggravation of dealing with folks who'd charge ~1900% interest and penalties on a tiny amount over a period of about 3 months.

[sarcasm]

The extra penny is for dog food.

[Common Tator]

Back in the mid 60's I took a corespondence course. When I went to college transisters had just been invented. There were no courses in computers. Lots of new technologies had developed after I graduated.

The course offered a payment plan so I used that. Early on I got a good contract for some work and was doing well So I paid off the entire cost of the course. I thought it would save me from having to write a check every month.

I kept getting nasty letters that said you have missed x number of payments. You owe us $0.00 cents and intererst of $0.00 on the past due balance. If you do not make a payment we will discontinue your participation in the course.

I sent them a check for $0.00. I then got a letter that said the bank had refused to cash my check and If I did not make it good with penalties they would file charages for writing a bad check.

I finally got a call from a local attorney who had been retained to file a suit against me. When he saw the paperwork he called to say he was getting the situation fixed.

He claimed the problem was with the computer program a the college. It was just a poorly programmed computer he said. He then asked me what course I was taking? I said computer programming. I asked him if I had a case against them for selling something they were not competent to teach? He stutterd a lot and then hung up.

[janeliberty]

Re Post #6 This looks like a test dreamed up by the I.R.S. (probably sanctioned by the U.N.) to see if all the "anti-government", "anti-tax" Freepers are ethical enough to legitimately criticize our big brother. You must take your "extra" penny to that Lake Shore, MN engineer immediately. Don't mail it; the metal detectors will detonate it. Deliver it personally.

No. They don't like you.

[Dog Gone]

Yikes.

[Physicist]

I need a different theory.

It's a trick. If you cash the check, you'll owe them 1¢. They'll hold that in reserve as a pretext for auditing you and expropriating your wealth if you ever cross the line.

Don't be too upset about it. At least you're onto them. Those of us who received checks for $600.00, but who were supposed to receive checks for something slightly less, will never see it coming.

[meanman]

I owed $1,800 to the Feds and sent it in on April 15.

The Feds didn't receive (or at least cash my check) until April 23.

The Feds charged me $3.50 for the 8 days they didn't have use of my money so I got a refund of $597.50.

Then the Feds sent me a 4 page letter trying to explain why I didn't get $600. I'm sure it cost more that $3.50 to print, envelop and send that letter.

Your taxes at work.

[Dog Gone]

LOL, I'm doomed.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

The IRS either overcharged you on interest or gave you too large a refund. DON'T spend that extra dollar, yet.

[supercat]

I sent them a check for $0.00. I then got a letter that said the bank had refused to cash my check and If I did not make it good with penalties they would file charages for writing a bad check.

At that point I probably would have written them a check for $0.01. Yes, I know, you'd be giving them a penny they really didn't deserve, but on the other hand you could have the satisfaction of knowing it would probably cost them at least twenty times that amount processing it (including probably sending you back a check for $0.01 overpayment which you may or may not have decided to cash yourself).