Comment Re:Been there. Done that. (Score 1) 841
Just out of curiosity, who would stand up for you [the IRS]? It's certainly hard for me to imagine any situation where the IRS is in any way helpful or positive. I mean, is there anybody who can say, "My wife left me, she kicked me out of my house, and I got fired just before Christmas -- but the compassionate IRS agent understood and was helpfully able to forgive my debt"? I'm guessing not.
You would, apparently, be surprised.
I have personally recommended the forgiveness or suspension of debt for hundreds of people. It happens hundreds of times a day.
Are you due a big refund that's been held up for unknown reasons but you've got a huge medical bill or you're about to lose your house? I've seen case workers move heaven and earth to process transactions and get refund checks manually cut and personally delivered to people in need.
Your post is near the bottom of the list, so I'll just put this here. I've seen a bunch of responses from people who had problems. That's to be expected. The tax system is complex and screwups happen.
But I am shocked that so few people understand that the IRS reaches out to communities and prepares tax returns for free, forgives or suspends debts when people are in a bad way, and sometimes goes to extraordinary lengths to use their great power to alleviate suffering.
I could go on and on. I have, already, up-thread. But I get the feeling I'll never make a dent.
Maybe the IRS needs a better PR department more than it needs anything else.
OK, that was a joke. The truth is that the IRS does lots of wonderful things for people but is prohibited by law from talking about them. We have Disclosure Officers whose entire job is making sure nobody talks about anything they're not supposed to. We're simply not allowed to adequately defend ourselves when we're attacked in the press; it's illegal to do so.
Ultimately, then, it's the IRS that's screwed when it comes to public perception and there's nothing they can do about it.
No wonder morale is non-existent. As proud as I am of my service to my country, I'm actually glad I've retired.