Mike Wittmer

you’re not helping

I am decidedly less worried about the sequester after a letter I received from the IRS on Friday, because apparently there is still a lot of fat in our federal government. The letter informed me that it was a mistake to mail a photocopy of my tax form because “We cannot accept photocopied signatures.”

To fix the problem the envelope contained a signature page for me, my wife, and two witnesses to sign and send back, either by mail or by fax. The letter warned, “Be advised your faxed signature(s) will become a permanent part of your filing.”

So someone at the IRS had this thought, shared it with others and they all decided it was a good idea:  “We must have original signatures. Please fax them to us.”

I’m not taking any chances with an organization this dumb that is holding my refund. I mailed it in.

The letter also encouraged me to efile next time, which I would happily do if the IRS program permitted Word attachments. Seems like an easy thing to fix, if they weren’t so consumed with screening which photocopied signatures they will accept.

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11 responses to “you’re not helping”

  1. Livingston Parent Journal

    Please print the original copy of this post and fax it to me with your signature. I want to make photocopies.

  2. mikewittmer

    I know where you work.

  3. Doug Blackwell

    Fortunately, I’m sure they too recognized the irony of their policy and implemented changes that improved their efficiency as a massive government agency.

  4. Bill Soistmann

    oh my

  5. Joey

    Until the government pays for the software to e-file, I will continue to mail it in.

  6. Rikd57

    And you trusted the Postal service to get it there?

  7. Mike McCrumb

    I wonder, if in the event of owing the IRS money, you could fax in a cash payment. It isn’t photocopied!

  8. Gary

    Just out of curiosity (since I do taxes for some clients as well as my own), what would the Word attachment be for?

  9. mikewittmer

    It’s Attachment 1: Computation of expenses, allocable to tax-free ministerial income, that are nondeductible.
    And Attachment 2: Attachment to Schedule SE (Form 1040)

    Then I also send in a Word document that explains my income and expenses per month for speaking, writing, traveling, etc. Last year they said I didn’t report a 1099, so I told them to look at July, the month where I claimed that income.

  10. Dan Cooper

    Next time just fax a photocopy and they will never know.

  11. rebekah wittmer

    Just send me they even bother to even try to talk to me or let alone stop me from making photo copys! FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND PRESS PEOPLE!
    WAIT…..
    *scoffs* who iam kidding …..

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