FARK.com: (5105765) IRS sends two dark-suited agents to car wash to hand-deliver notice of 4¢ delinquency

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		IRS sends two dark-suited agents to car wash to hand-deliver notice of 4¢ delinquency (sacbee.com)		91
		More: Asinine, Sacramento, business associations, IRS, delinquent, obligations, Sacramento Bee, recruiters, property owners

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91 Comments (+0 »)

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Bathia_Mapes

2010-03-13 04:25:55 PM

Our tax dollars at work. You'd think the IRS would have better cents and just pass the buck on this, but no.

CitizenTed

2010-03-13 05:22:38 PM

I'm glad our dedicated civil servants finally cracked down on this corporate sleazeball.

JasonOfOrillia

2010-03-13 05:52:06 PM

At the car wash
Workin' at the car wash, girl.

ultraholland

2010-03-13 05:53:19 PM

shoulda sent this guy

farm4.static.flickr.com

MaudlinMutantMollusk

2010-03-13 05:53:38 PM

And don't forget the $202.00 in interest and penalties.

Curious

2010-03-13 05:55:52 PM

well with all the penalties and interest it mounted up

to $202.35 so you can see why they sent the two guys.

theBigBigEye

2010-03-13 05:55:56 PM

Satanic_Hamster

2010-03-13 05:56:15 PM

MaudlinMutantMollusk: And don't forget the $202.00 in interest and penalties.

If I were this guy, I'd keep in the local news as much as possible, try to get on CNN or the Daily Show, write letters to his Congressman, etc etc.

That much in penalties for four damn cents is just moronic.

JasonOfOrillia

2010-03-13 05:56:19 PM

ultraholland: shoulda sent this guy

Don't even bother picking up the phone if the job is $1.99 or less.

generaltimmy

2010-03-13 05:56:37 PM

COuldn't Geitner front that bill? Maybe this Harv will become the Secretary of Car Washing or Car Washing Czar.

WGJ

2010-03-13 05:57:21 PM

I thought you were able to round up or down to the nearest dollar when doing taxes.

Metraxis

2010-03-13 06:00:54 PM

The likelihood is that a payment was received after the penalties and initial interest were assessed, making the unpaid tax amount 4 cents. "But I paid the tax!!1!" (late and after a certified notice) is not generally resonable cause for the abatement of a penalty once it is assessed.

illicit

2010-03-13 06:02:53 PM

ultraholland: shoulda sent this guy

I keep seeing that shot pop on FARK, where is it from?

John1701q

2010-03-13 06:05:45 PM

So what if he was fined and penalized this is our benevolent federal government doing this, those same noble people that get on their soapboxes and condemn banks and credit card companies for doing the same.

ultraholland

2010-03-13 06:09:07 PM

illicit: I keep seeing that shot pop on FARK, where is it from?

from Better Off Dead

lifeboat

2010-03-13 06:09:35 PM

illicit: ultraholland: shoulda sent this guy

I keep seeing that shot pop on FARK, where is it from?

It's the paperboy from the John Cusak movie, Better Off Dead. Throughout the whole movie, the kid keeps bugging Cusak to pay up on a $2 debt.

davidphogan

2010-03-13 06:09:51 PM

Metraxis: The likelihood is that a payment was received after the penalties and initial interest were assessed, making the unpaid tax amount 4 cents. "But I paid the tax!!1!" (late and after a certified notice) is not generally resonable cause for the abatement of a penalty once it is assessed.

I'd like to see the IRS explain it, but we'll probably never get the rest of the story. Where's Paul Harvey when you need him?

MAYORBOB

2010-03-13 06:10:41 PM

Just wait until Mr. Zeff refuses to purchase Obamacare. They'll be sending a death panel to Harv's Car Wash.

bobbiepaws

2010-03-13 06:11:12 PM

Hand'em a dime and tell'em it's for interest and to keep the rest for their effort.

If I were the agent I would've paid the nickel to save myself the trip...morons...

leadmetal

2010-03-13 06:12:21 PM

Bathia_Mapes: Our tax dollars at work. You'd think the IRS would have better cents and just pass the buck on this, but no.

He is an ordinary guy running an ordinary business, therefore he must be shown no mercy. It isn't about the amount, it's about the intimidation and shakedown. What is more important to organized crime? The amount or that someone didn't pay?

It's about sending a message of who runs things. That's why all was forgiven for those high government appointees who can't figure out how to use turbo-tax but they go after this guy for four cents.

Russ1642

2010-03-13 06:13:17 PM

I'm guessing that his carwash was close to a good restaurant. The agents probably showed up at 11:55 so that they could file their lunch bill as a business expense.

MadSkillz

2010-03-13 06:15:17 PM

In Canada, no attempt is made to collect or refund amounts of less than $2.00 for income tax. This prevents ridiculous shiat from happening usually.

spleef420

2010-03-13 06:16:04 PM

Curious: well with all the penalties and interest it mounted up

to $202.35 so you can see why they sent the two guys.

and I can guaran-damn-tee it cost the IRS AT LEAST double that to send in the hounds.

MaudlinMutantMollusk

2010-03-13 06:17:54 PM

spleef420: Curious: well with all the penalties and interest it mounted up

to $202.35 so you can see why they sent the two guys.

and I can guaran-damn-tee it cost the IRS AT LEAST double that to send in the ~~hounds~~ clowns.

FTFY

Metraxis

2010-03-13 06:18:30 PM

davidphogan: Metraxis: The likelihood is that a payment was received after the penalties and initial interest were assessed, making the unpaid tax amount 4 cents. "But I paid the tax!!1!" (late and after a certified notice) is not generally resonable cause for the abatement of a penalty once it is assessed.

I'd like to see the IRS explain it, but we'll probably never get the rest of the story. Where's Paul Harvey when you need him?

Of course you'll never hear the story from the IRS. IRC 6103 specifically prohibits any kind of public comment on a specific case without explicit permission from an authorized party (Definition of Authorized party varies by entity type). Odds are, if ROs were involved for a couple hundred bucks, then there were Employment or Excise taxes at issue, which would mean he'd been dicking around with someone else's money.

Satanic_Hamster

2010-03-13 06:22:29 PM

Metraxis: Of course you'll never hear the story from the IRS. IRC 6103 specifically prohibits any kind of public comment on a specific case without explicit permission from an authorized party (Definition of Authorized party varies by entity type). Odds are, if ROs were involved for a couple hundred bucks, then there were Employment or Excise taxes at issue, which would mean he'd been dicking around with someone else's money.

Yeah, a whole four cents of someones money. They should throw this guy in Gitmo.

Barakku

2010-03-13 06:24:59 PM

Bathia_Mapes: Our tax dollars at work. You'd think the IRS would have better cents and just pass the buck on this, but no.

I hate to be nickle and dimed, but Obama did make a big deal about change.

/Who coined that term anyway? He should be drawn and quartered.
//Pennies

What_Would_Jimi_Do

2010-03-13 06:26:15 PM

WGJ: I thought you were able to round up or down to the nearest dollar when doing taxes.

it actually says to on the forms. federal and for NC. i only now about NC state tax.

risc averse

2010-03-13 06:26:35 PM

MAYORBOB: Just wait until Mr. Zeff refuses to purchase Obamacare. They'll be sending a death panel to Harv's Car Wash.

What if he refused to finance another war? Oh wait, THAT's not up for debate.
Moron.

bushbot111

2010-03-13 06:28:34 PM

They came for a little over $200, not 4 cents. Learn to read subby.

/still retarded

video man

2010-03-13 06:29:20 PM

Barakku: Bathia_Mapes: Our tax dollars at work. You'd think the IRS would have better cents and just pass the buck on this, but no.

I hate to be nickle and dimed, but Obama did make a big deal about change.

/Who coined that term anyway? He should be drawn and quartered.
//Pennies

My god, those puns were like listening to 50 Cent!

spleef420

2010-03-13 06:31:51 PM

bushbot111: They came for a little over $200, not 4 cents. Learn to read subby.

read the thread, this has been covered at least twice already.

sending 2 agents at $20+ per hour to collect $200 is farking idiotic. It cost the IRS more to send out the agents than it would have to just write off the four cents and eat the penalties.

Russ1642

2010-03-13 06:32:46 PM

bushbot111: They came for a little over $200, not 4 cents. Learn to read subby.

/still retarded

I think we'd be saying this was retarded if it was $1000.

bushbot111

2010-03-13 06:34:00 PM

spleef420: bushbot111: They came for a little over $200, not 4 cents. Learn to read subby.

read the thread, this has been covered at least twice already.

sending 2 agents at $20+ per hour to collect $200 is farking idiotic. It cost the IRS more to send out the agents than it would have to just write off the four cents and eat the penalties.

Read my post. I said it was retarded. But they didn't come for 4 cents. They came for $200+.

Reading comprehension. Look into it

bushbot111

2010-03-13 06:34:37 PM

Russ1642: bushbot111: They came for a little over $200, not 4 cents. Learn to read subby.

/still retarded

I think we'd be saying this was retarded if it was $1000.

More than that. It's definitely retarded.

spleef420

2010-03-13 06:36:43 PM

bushbot111: Reading comprehension. Look into it

like I said, this was covered way up in the thread.

reading classes, look into them.

Metraxis

2010-03-13 06:41:49 PM

Satanic_Hamster: Metraxis: Of course you'll never hear the story from the IRS. IRC 6103 specifically prohibits any kind of public comment on a specific case without explicit permission from an authorized party (Definition of Authorized party varies by entity type). Odds are, if ROs were involved for a couple hundred bucks, then there were Employment or Excise taxes at issue, which would mean he'd been dicking around with someone else's money.

Yeah, a whole four cents of someones money. They should throw this guy in Gitmo.
If there were 200 dollars and change in penalties assessed, the original tax amount at issue would have been closer to $1,500.00-$2,000.00. Is that big enough to enforce on? What if the taxes were the ones taken out of your paycheck in specific?

Sequence goes like this:
1>Taxpayer fails to pay a tax amount withheld from or collected from another party (my suspicion, but could just be income taxes unpaid for a year or more).
2>IRS sends notice assessing penalties and interest, in addition to the original unpaid tax
3>Taxpayer responds with just the unpaid tax (or in this case, not quite the unpaid tax amount) and expects the penalties to magically go away
4>IRS reminds taxpayer that the original failure still has consequences.
5>Taxpayer claims he's being hounded for 4 cents.

leadmetal

2010-03-13 06:43:47 PM

Russ1642: bushbot111: They came for a little over $200, not 4 cents. Learn to read subby.

/still retarded

I think we'd be saying this was retarded if it was $1000.

A rational system would have just ignored the 4 cent error and there would have never been 200+ in penalties.

SimonSaid

2010-03-13 06:52:18 PM

I call shenanigans. The IRS rounds to the nearest dollar. There is a helluva lot more to this story.

/cross, nails, crucify

Splinshints

2010-03-13 06:53:50 PM

leadmetal A rational system would have just ignored the 4 cent error and there would have never been 200+ in penalties.

They sent two people, on the clock, to harass someone over more than $200 in penalties and fees that accrued on less than a nickel's debt.

If there's more to the story than that, fine, but if that's the story - which is all the story we have now - there is no excuse for what the IRS did.

And, you know, I'd be more willing to give the IRS the benefit of the doubt on this, but those morons aren't known for common sense or efficiency, so I really have no problem believing that, in fact, this entire thing boils down to the IRS penalizing a guy more than $200 and then assaulting him at his place of business because of four cents.

greyw1980

2010-03-13 06:54:38 PM

Popular Comment
"I have a really hard time believing the IRS story or the IRS comments from the facts given. I've had a number "communications" with the IRS over the years and I've learned:

1. The IRS calculates taxes to the nearest dollar per the form instructions, unless the taxpayer does otherwise. IF you don't follow the instructions, you're an idiot!

2. The IRS computer sends out at least two letters regarding the tax "disagreement". IF you don't bother to respond, your're an idiot.

3. If you don't understand the "disagreement" there is phone number to call and eventually your're connected to someone who can translate the letter from tax code into English. IF you can't be bothered to call, you're an idiot.

4. As far as the tax code is concerned the IRS is usually right.

This story really reads like a Teabagger's version of the Springer show: lots of name-calling and no real facts."

-- mmarkham

spleef420

2010-03-13 06:54:44 PM

In fact, he provided us with an Oct. 22, 2009, letter from the IRS that states Harv's "has filed all required returns and addressed any balances due."

y'all musta missed this part of the article...but don't let that stop you from championing the righteousness of the IRS.

edmo

2010-03-13 06:55:35 PM

Lighten up guys. That other recent article pointed out that more than a third of filers don't pay any taxes. They gotta get something from somebody.

They sure hell get something from me every year. What am I doing wrong?

ropegun

2010-03-13 06:56:42 PM

Were they wearing jackboots? I bet they were. I always wondered what jackboots look like.

spleef420

2010-03-13 06:56:46 PM

greyw1980: 4. As far as the tax code is concerned the IRS is usually right.

HAH! Have you ever looked at the US tax code? It's the single most unreadable, convoluted pile of bullshiat in history. There are tax attorneys that have studied the tax code for 50 years and STILL don't understand 1/4 of it.

FarkinginNC

2010-03-13 06:56:57 PM

I would rather piss in Tony Soprano's corn flakes than get myself in a bind with the IRS. The people at the IRS are blood sucking leeches.

/CPA that has heard some horror stories

Palpable Butthurt

2010-03-13 06:58:29 PM

SimonSaid: I call shenanigans. The IRS rounds to the nearest dollar. There is a helluva lot more to this story.

/cross, nails, crucify

I'll second that. Double shenanigans.

The DBS

2010-03-13 06:59:28 PM

greyw1980: Popular Comment
"This story really reads like a Teabagger's version of the Springer show: lots of name-calling and no real facts."

-- mmarkham
I loved the unintentional irony in that final comment.

LOGICAL_PSYCHO

2010-03-13 07:04:18 PM

Metraxis:
If there were 200 dollars and change in penalties assessed, the original tax amount at issue would have been closer to $1,500.00-$2,000.00. Is that big enough to enforce on? What if the taxes were the ones taken out of your paycheck in specific?

You are an idiot who is talking out of his ass.

After paying $21,000 in taxes last year I received a late 1099 from an account that I had forgotten(completely my fault). I notified the IRS that I needed to amend my taxes this was less than a month after my initial on time filing. After redoing them with the added 1099 I owed $1200 more. Total amount the IRS charged me for being less than one month late?
$2300

$1100 in penalties/one month interest.
Welcome to America!

dj_blueshift

2010-03-13 07:06:07 PM