In December 2020, we filed an amended tax return, and in 2022 we finally received a confusing and inaccurate response from the IRS. We responded to their letter and continued to follow up with countless calls to the 1-800 number, but no one had any answers. No one knew where it was in the process, why it was held up, or how to proceed other than to just wait (and wait, and wait). Desperate, I reached out to my congressman for help in February. It turns out this is one of their primary services: to help constituents navigate and resolve issues with federal agencies. I filled out a form on their website, and within a week, I received a call from the Taxpayer Advocacy Service. With the help of my advocate, we finally resolved the issue and received our refund this week—over three and a half years later.

 

If you find yourself frustrated and seemingly out of options with a government agency (not just the IRS), know that this is an option. A big thank you to our Congressman Danny K. Davis, his staff, and our Taxpayer Advocate, Claudette. They all came through for us when we really needed help. Government can feel broken, big, and faceless, but this is a case where our government actually worked for the little people.

Kurt Vonnegut, talking about when he tells his wife he’s going out to buy an envelope: Oh, she says well, you’re not a poor man. You know, why don’t you go online and buy a hundred envelopes and put them in the closet? And so I pretend not to hear her. And go out to get an envelope because I’m going to have a hell of a good time in the process of buying one envelope. I meet a lot of people. And, see some great looking babes. And a fire engine goes by. And I give them the thumbs up. And, and ask a woman what kind of dog that is. And, and I don’t know. The moral of the story is, is we’re here on Earth to fart around. And, of course, the computers will do us out of that. And, what the computer people don’t realize, or they don’t care, is we’re dancing animals.

Featured in this week’s issue of The Sublime Newsletter by Sari Azout

 

* I love the phrase farting around. My Dad used it all the time and I had forgotten about it. 😊

My friend Molly shared this heartwarming story about the adventures of a duck named Louie.

I shared an out-of-energy reply that you are welcome to borrow »

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