A small example of why I am beginning to hate our government more and more...

[Guest Hyaloid]

We pay our federal employee taxes on time, every time. Our most recent installment was underpaid by mistake, apparently.

The amount by which it was underpaid, $0.03.

The penalty for underpaying our taxes by 3 danged cents was $27.76.

Meanwhile, our personal income tax return was nearly $800 less than it should have been for our 'refund'. We filed it back in March. I received a letter last week that they were investigating our claim, and were taking an additional 45 days before they would BEGIN.

I know this is relatively small potatoes, but for crap's sake, it is the principle of it all. Sometimes I wonder if it really is time for pitchforks and torches marching down the streets of DC.

I think I will send it to them in pennies.

[Guest Hyaloid]

Ok, because of my damned conscience, I have to post a retraction.

It would appear my above assertion was inaccurate, and the March payment was erroneously sent in late, thereby causing the penalty.

My conscience, however, does not prevent me from throwing my wife under the bus, and blaming her for not paying the taxes on time.

[Guest Verbal Kint]

[Guest Engloid]

A few years back:

I filed my taxes, after preparing them myself. About February and I got a letter stating that I had messed up and they owed me $800 more than I thought, and that if I disagreed to let them know. I figured they're the pro's. They didn't explain their reasoning, but I went with it.

In October, they sent a letter stating that they had overpaid me $800 and I now owed them that much, in addition to penalties.

I called and threw a fit. I told the guy something like, "You can garnish my paycheck, and I will quit my job before there is a check. You can do whatever you want, and I will live in a cardboard box before I pay that penalty." He quickly agreed that I shouldn't have to pay the penalty, but then wanted to know when I could pay back the $800. I told him that it took them months to figure out THEIR mistake, and I felt I should have months to pay it back. We wound up agreeing to take the $800 from my next year's refund.

Morale of the story...call them and see what happens.