Tax Frustrations

For many years, married to the X, our tax situation was complex, being ‘clergy’. It took much record keeping and organization and specialized accounting.  It was always a major ordeal to get things organized and sent off by the ‘deadline’ required by the accountant for the ‘discount’ which was always desirable, because his specialized services were pricey.  Then later, the deadline was extra-speshul for student financial aid purposes.

After The Guy and I married, things were different, of course, but as he was self-employed, there were still hoops to jump through, come tax time.  Still no fun.  Still lots of documentation and record wrangling.

The last 4 or 5 years have been back to the regular world of working for employers who send us W-2s by the end of January.  We buy our ‘tax prep in a box’ and we’re good to go.  This past week I pulled all our crap together, and entered all the data.  I proofed it all last night and e-filed the federal return.  Done and done!

I thought.  About an hour later…ding…an email…my return was rejected!  My employer’s EIN did not match what the IRS had on record for my employer. Which was exactly what was on my W-2...which was what H&R Block downloaded from ADP…which was the same EIN for the same employer for last year…

I called the help line for the tax prep service, who could find no record of my return, or my purchase of their software in their system. She asked me 'are you sure you are using H&R Block?'  Probably a routine question…but... alas, I was very frustrated.  I know she couldn’t see who she was talking to, and just doing her job, but I was feeling patronized and probably am going to have to go back and fill out that customer satisfaction survey.

She told me I had to call the IRS.  Who had closed their helpline 20 minutes prior.

I took a chance and just refilled in the offending blank, and refiled the forms.  Well, when one buys the software, one gets 5 free e-files.  I always thought that was cool, because I don't know, we could help the kids...if they needed it...five free, and I only need one, you know.

Well, guess what.  Those extra efiles?  They are for your REJECTIONS!!!  So far I have chewed up 2 of my 5.  Oh yeah…that customer satisfaction survey is in my sights.

So I went to bed determined not to lose sleep over this.  I had a plan.  I would get up and exercise, get dressed, and call the IRS as soon as they opened at 7A.  If I was on hold, so be it.  I have nothing going on at work and also...it's my employer’s fault!!!  So work stuff!

It worked.  I slept good.

I called the IRS, and they confirmed my rejection for that reasons, after…oh…25 minutes on hold. And then said I needed to make sure my employer didn't change EINs this year.  Otherwise, we would have to mail our forms. 

No surprise to me, my payroll person said no to the change of EIN, and confirmed that my W-2 for this year and last year were correct.  And did I check for typos?  Was the number entered by download or manually?

Uh…yeah to the BOTH!!!

So what the heck? We mailed our forms, and I am not sure what difference that is going to make.  And is everyone else who works for my employer going to have the same issue?

Or…am I just being singled out…