Anyone else dislike the IRS?

[HoosierDaddy]

Five plus years and with end in sight handling my father's estate. The final IRS (and state) returns for the estate were filed in March. Now I have a letter from the IRS saying I forgot to take a $300 exemption and a refund is on the way. The CPA that completed the forms says the IRS is wrong but I should pretend they aren't. He is assuming the IRS applied a standard deduction that can not be used on a "final" return. The return is clearly marked final.

The IRS provided no explanation for the refund other than mentioning an exemption. The refund amount is consistent with a $300 exemption. Reading the instructions, the ONLY $300 exemption is for certain kinds of trusts. But this return is and is clearly marked as for an estate. The exemption for an estate return is $600 but not clear to me if applies to final returns.

I'm trying to figure out if I should contact the IRS for an explanation. Common since suggests NOT doing anything that draws attention to myself.

The return was e-filed so I have to assume the IRS use software to review it and generate refunds. It seems almost impossible for the software to improperly issue a refund unless there is something that triggered it such as rejecting the idea its a final return for some reason which could mean having to deal with failing to file future returns. Or some other inscrutable reason for the refund. Sigh.

Sponsored

 

[Balr14]

Just set the money aside until they contact you or until you die.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Just set the money aside until they contact you or until you die.

My bad luck, I'll live forever.

I don't care about the money. Its the hassle of when they come after it. Been there done that in the'70s thru '90s. And it was fun to spar with the govt in my youth.

I decided to take some university courses while working. But an advisor kept pestering me to use my GI benefits. So, I did just to shut them up. I just tossed the checks in a shoe box since I didn't need or want them. Turned out my military experience meant I could be teaching the classes so I dropped out. 15-20 years later, the govt billed me for the amount I'd received plus interest, maybe penalties, not sure. I went to their local office with my box of checks and asked if they would take those 3rd party checks as repayment. They were seriously confused and angry but slinked away. The realization that the govt does not reconcile checks made me wonder how many completely bogus checks they cash and never know to go after the casher.

I don't think I would enjoy that in my '90s.

Plus, this time I could not just ignore the check. The refund is to the estate with 13 beneficiaries, some of which might sue me for breach of fiduciary duty if I did not give them their share. I'd have to pay them out of my pocket if I sat on the check. LoL

 

[sk47]

Plus, this time I could not just ignore the check. The refund is to the estate with 13 beneficiaries, some of which might sue me for breach of fiduciary duty if I did not give them their share. I'd have to pay them out of my pocket if I sat on the check. LoL

Hello; I was executor of my mother's estate. Not a big estate and wound up having more debt than ready cash. My siblings tried to force me to disperse property before the debts were settled. had I done so i would have been out of pocket if the estate could not meet the debts. I offered to disperse things such as a car, piano and such if the siblings would agree to split the cost with me should the estate wind up insolvent. They balked. luckily, I sold the house for more than the mortgage and the other debts. So yes you are looking at problems if you balk.

My recent dealings with the IRS are much simpler. Thanks to the $6,000 extra deduction available to us over age 65 I went from owing $800+ to getting a $300+ refund. (the thing called no tax on SS) I applied most of that refund to the 2026 tax as a prepayment.
In order to have some feedback after sending in my return for 2025 I asked for a $10 refund. That way I would get some evidence the return was actually received and likely correct. I did my own figuring. I read somewhere in the instructions that if I did not give a checking route # for the refund it could take many weeks to months to get a paper check. Fine as i try to avoid such transactions.
I have a letter from the IRS giving me 30 days to give them a checking routing #. It is only ten dollars this time so I likely will let them keep it. I talked to me banker and found I can set up a checking account for just that sort of thing. Would require having $5K in it. I think my days are almost gone.
I called the phone # on the letter and got an AI voice with no good results. Same for the hard to find phone number in the 2025 instruction book.

 

[MidwayJ]

No, I would never want to go back to a solid rear axle.

 

[wingnutt]

No, I would never want to go back to a solid rear axle.

not gonna lie…you beat me to it

Sponsored