Doesn't that sounds like a GREAT combination for the day? That was yesterday's day. Well, I lie. The IRS has been my WEEK!
First, the IRS is arbitrarily selecting adoptive families' tax returns and sending them to their tax credit review department. In my opinion, it's an utter waste of time. They're spending $3 to mail notices to families to send documents that were sent in with the original 1040 and then having to disperse the funds anyways. I mean, can you really lie about adopting a human being? It's not like we said we made donations to the church or organizations or started a business or something. We didn't even buy an appliance or car that qualifies. No, it's an adoption! So, after frustratingly calling the IRS Monday to find out if I could pare down my 23 page (yes 23 pages) fax to them and getting no where, Brian faxed it all to them on Tuesday.
Then, yesterday after a long day at the doctor, I got yet another notice from the IRS. My favorite, oh so happy people, sent me a notice to tell me that apparently, by their records I suddenly had only 4 children...not 5. Ummm yeah....I'm pretty sure I've had this little man in my house for almost 2 years now and in my bed for 6 months. Yeah, I know I'm the mom to 5. I didn't miscount my exemptions. BTW, I use TAXACTONLINE.com and it remembers me from year to year, so no mistake. It filled out the additional child worksheet and little Jae was on that page all by himself as the front sheet of the 1040 only allows for 4 kiddos. I called yet another number provided by the IRS and she asked me if I had my copy in front of me. I said 'yes I do'....this is after I told her (when she answered) that I was so upset and frustrated with them at that point I was ready to cry on her. She asked if I marked everybody's box and I said yes. She said she only saw 4. I told her the littlest was on another page all by himself. She asked for his SSN and I gave it to her. She found him listed a real, live person and said our child tax credit would get reinstated and I could disregard the notice.
You see, the problem with the IRS is that as they forward on your return for review, they only send the 1040. They keep all other documentation who knows where. My new notice taking away our child tax credit was issue on Monday; the very day I first called about the other 3 notices. So, the oh so happy lady I talked to Monday took it upon herself to look through our 2 pages she'd gotten and send us a notice that we claimed incorrect children. Uhhh....maybe you should have all the documentation before you make that sort of decision! So, luckily, the lady on the phone on Thursday, was a much happier person, took Jae's SSN and put all the stuff in for us. However, we still had to fax in his adoption decree (for the 2nd time) and a spreadsheet, receipts and canceled checks for all of our adoption expenses. Then, maybe, if they feel nice about it we might get the rest of our return in the next 3 months. The first 2 people I talked to on Monday sounded SO depressed and depressing. They couldn't help you at all. They actually read to me what I had in front of me; as if I couldn't read. It wasn't at all answering the more specific questions I had. As a government entity employee, I cannot even imagine being that helpful (not at all) with the constituents who call or write us. I bend over backwards to get an answer for people that I would never be upset to put in writing. These ladies gave the government (I don't care if it's local, state or federal) a very BAD name!
So the doctor. Yeah, it wasn't bad as in bad doctor....just made for a bad day when it's followed by the IRS putting me in tears. Not to mention I was dumb enough to start supper before opening that envelope I saw was from the IRS and then burnt 1/2 gallon of milk on the stove. So bad I had to take a brillo pad after soaking it an entire day to get it off the stainless steel pot. The doctor was just my annual allergy testing, but after spending over 2 hours at the doctors office, getting pricked over 75 times while sitting there with a 5 and 2 year old who'd had enough after 1/2 hour, I was SPENT!
March is over and April is here. It's going to get better.
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