The @#%!! IRS

I was about to start off ranting about the IRS (I'm sure many of you have plenty to say about this fantastically professional organization), but this one is actually my fault. However, that doesn't change how much I dislike federal agencies (yeah, I know, I work for a federal agency.... and have plenty to say about that one too). Here's the deal. I'm new to having investments. Having investments is a great thing (until recently), except that it gives the government more money to take from you. Lovely. Well last year when 2007 taxes were due the government was revamping the reporting process for investments. Which in turn caused me to get several tax documents on my investment accounts. So I filed as soon as I thought I had all of them (Mid-February?). Turns out I didn't have all of them. Being new to the whole investment thing, I didn't realize how the government calculates how much you are taxed on investments. So I didn't see the point of amending my 2007 tax return for a second time (didn't realize I was getting the documents the first time).

Big mistake. Always send in your amendments, even if it seems like a very little deal. I've just been informed by the IRS that I owe them $8,000. Yeah, you read that right. It's like $6,500 with $1,500 in interest and penalty fees. After my heart attack (the IRS will be receiving a bill for my required spa treatment as well), I realized where my mistake was. This year I also had to amend my returns due to a form I received after thinking I had received them all. It appeared I made $40,000 more than I really did. That freaked me out, until I inputed it into my tax software and found out it actually increased my refund by $500. So I sent my amendment in and am awaiting the additional check from the IRS (I'm well aware I will never receive the money the state owes me--go wonderful CA).

So here's where the IRS tees me off: when I fix my 2007 tax return, I will no doubt BE OWED a couple bucks (hopefully), but doesn't the IRS also owe me the interest and penalties of $1,500? See what I'm getting at here? We all talk about how great our country is, but do we take into account how much federal and state government agencies like to rip us off? Try collecting interest on your CA state tax refund that you'll never get! Same thing with the federal agency I work for: if I mess up on my paperwork and get overpayed even the slightest amount-boy will they go after it. But when they mess up and owe me money, they don't want to pay up!

We should all stage an uprising and overthrow the government. I think I actually signed a contract when I started working for the federal government that I wouldn't do that, so you guys will have to get the ball rolling for me.

Ok, I do realize that had I amended the return right away this never would have happened...