The IRS is a favorite target of hate and resentment, stealing our hard earned dollars, threatening us with repercussions if we don't fill out our forms correctly, so that many spend more hard earned dollars having the pros do it.
My husband fills out our taxes, except for the year my mother died leaving us with a new tangle of issues. We had the pros do it and they made a mistake. Figures. So typically Roger does it, and worries that we'll get audited because our numbers are so odd. I am self employed and we have a lot of deductions, so he figures we are screaming for extra attention.
This year he felt extra worried. During 2009 we had 3 children in college, so we qualified for 3 of the new college tax credits, resulting in a huge refund in addition to the decent sized one we already were due. The money arrived in our account online, so I breathed a small sigh of relief.
Then yesterday the envelope arrived with the IRS return address, a dreaded omen. I opened it to see what they had to say, and sure enough, we had made a mistake. We didn't take a new credit we were due. They corrected it and we got an extra $800 we hadn't claimed.
This actually happened to us once before, they corrected a child credit we didn't see. I am frankly amazed. It makes sense to me that if we mess up and owe them more, they are going to correct it and demand their money. But I think it's remarkable that when we don't claim a credit, they fix it. It doesn't seem like they'd be obligated to bless us in that way.
We were trying to figure out how to fund Nora's grad school next year, and the government has practically paid for her first semester. Thanks, IRS! God can use anything, that's all I can say.
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Kathy, I find it remarkable that the IRS did that for you. You are so right, that they tend to do the opposite, at least it has been my experience. My thought is that it most probably was a gift from God, not the government, but I will celebrate with you either way. I on the other hand, have no paycheck and work many many hours. The IRS (not the people, but the body) find it extra easy to take from us because my husband works his job in order for us to pay our bills. When we make a small amount from the business, which is of course on paper only, they took more than 50% of it and we had to pay over $2000 for the privilage. I just don't get it, but we give Ceasar what is due him.
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