I have always paid taxes and filed correctly for several years. Last December I got a mail saying the IRS had made a mistake and as a result I got an additional $1908 refunded directly into my account. No other communication about it. The money just came.
Now, a year later, I got an email saying please check your IRS account and there’s a notice saying my account is at risk of a lien or levy due to an unpaid balance. And now it says I owe $1481 from that erroneous refund (which was also an error??) That money is long spent and I don’t have $1500 to pay immediately. I tried to call and explain and set up a payment plan but the interest is so high.
I think this is insane? Wtf IRS makes a dumb mistake, gives away money to hundreds of people, and then penalizes them for not being able to pay? Honestly I want to freaking sue them. What should I do??
IRS suddenly says I have to pay $1481 immediately. pls help!
byu/Existentially_b0red intax
Posted by Existentially_b0red
9 Comments
I seriously doubt the irs would email you. It would most likely be a letter in the mail. Check the senders address
Honestly, I’d make an appointment with a CPA as soon as possible to understand WHY they say you owe $1,481. They may have recalculated it incorrectly. There is not enough info here to determine what could’ve caused this.
The IRS wouldn’t email you. This is most likely a scam
contact the irs to set up a payment plan, even if the interest is high, it’s usually the best option to avoid further penalties. suing isn’t practical. try calling again, persistence can sometimes help in these situations.
What would you sue them for? You’re the one who is ahead here, what would you sue them for?
Let me guess, the email had a convenient link to click so you could “check your account”. Did the email come from and @irs.gov address?
The IRS sends letters. That’s it. Investigate what you clicked and I bet it’s not the real IRS.
Heya. I’m sorry this happened, this sucks. I agree that the IRS should have more responsibility on checks they send out in error. I’ve seen them send out a check for $200,000 and then come in hot bc the guy didn’t want to give it back.
Unfortunately, I think a payment plan is your best option. I disagree that the interest rate is that high. Maybe 8% is high if you’re buying a house, but if you have a one year payment plan, that’s only around $120. That’s going to be cheaper than a credit card. I agree that it sucks and it shouldn’t have happened in the first place. You can’t abate interest through the IRS, though.
What does your IRS.gov account say?
>I got an email
This is almost certainly NOT the IRS.
[https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/ways-to-tell-if-the-irs-is-reaching-out-or-if-its-a-scammer](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/ways-to-tell-if-the-irs-is-reaching-out-or-if-its-a-scammer)