Bureaucracy in Action

[rowyn]

Missouri Department of Revenue: "Hi, Rowyn. We noticed that we haven't received your 2007 tax return. We're sure you must have submitted it, and we're very sorry to have misplaced it. Would you mind terribly sending us another copy?"
Rowyn: "Oh. Um. I don't remember what I did with it. I'll get back to you later."

...

Missouri Department of Revenue: "Hey, it's been a couple of months, have you found that tax return yet? The one for 2007?"
Rowyn: "Huh? Oh, no. Actually, I remembered what happened. I didn't fill one out."
Missouri Department of Revenue: "... you didn't fill one out?"
Rowyn: "Nah. I think I guesstimated that my refund was gonna be $50 or something, and I didn't think it was worth the trouble of tracking down the form, filling it out, and mailing it in. Something like that. You guys can just keep it, I don't care that much."
Missouri Department of Revenue: "... Um. That's very nice of you, Rowyn, but we'd really appreciate it if you'd just submit the return like everyone else."
Rowyn: "No, really, it's okay, keep the money. It's not worth the trouble to me."
Missouri Department of Revenue: "It's just that we need the paperwork filled out. You know how it is."
Rowyn: "But I hate dealing with taxes. I don't even know where to find the form -- "
Missouri Department of Revenue: " -- it's right on our website -- "
Rowyn: " -- and I'd have to find my W2s again and figure out where I put my 2007 federal tax return. Do I have to?"
Missouri Department of Revenue: "Yes."
Rowyn: "But I don't wanna."
Missouri Department of Revenue: "LOOK, SEND IN THE DAMN FORM OR GUIDO HERE IS GOING TO BREAK BOTH YOUR KNEECAPS."
Rowyn: "Okay, okay! I'm filling it out already! Sheesh!"
Missouri Department of Revenue: "That's more like it."
Rowyn: "Wow, your website's really easy to use. Can you talk to the company whose website I used for my federal taxes? They need your help. Desperately."
Rowyn: "Oh, the refund was actually a few hundred dollars. I guess I should've filled it out in the first place."
Missouri Department of Revenue: (not touching that one.)
Rowyn: Anyway, here you go.
Missouri Department of Revenue: "o/~Thank you! Here's your check! o/~"

...

I'm not sure what the moral of this story is, to be honest.

Comments

[minor-architect.livejournal.com]

Sometimes it's better not to reason why. Just take the money and run! ;D

(Although I'm surprised that your state's DOR didn't figure out that you hadn't filled out a 2007 tax return...until 2009. O_o )

[rowyn]

They actually sent the first reminder back in November, I think. They didn't start threatening me with Guido until May or so. I just got the refund check, so there's lots of time compression in here. :)

[jurann.livejournal.com]

The moral of the story is... Get better tax software. ;) I use TaxAct, and there are several other great ones out there. I like TaxAct because it's super simple to use with verbosity where needed on ANY part of ANY tax form, and most importantly, it's really cheap. ;D

[rowyn]

I should get better software for filing my federal taxes than the HORRIBLE website I used in 2008, yeah. But I can't see ever getting software for filing my state taxes again, now that I've seen the Missouri website. It took, like, 2 minutes to complete their form. If that. I just ... um. Didn't know I could fill it out there. O:)

[level-head.livejournal.com]

Hey, a happy ending, despite the title!

===|==============/ Level Head

[rowyn]

If there was a bad guy in this story, it was me. The bureaucracy was actually acting in my best interests, even if they didn't know it at the time. >:)

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I sent in my 2007 tax form but forgot to cash the refund check out so the IRS asked me to confirm that I'd lost it and they'd send me a new one. Nice. };)

[rowyn]

The IRS really isn't as evil as they advertised. :)

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

Are your papers in order, citizen?

I mean, really, though -- why in the world did you think they wouldn't care if you filed?

[rowyn]

Because they never have before?

There have been years when I was younger where I forgot to file my taxes, or didn't bother, and this is the first time the state or the feds have ever bothered me about it. My taxes are pretty simple and I'm owed a smallish refund at year-end, so there's not much incentive for tax agencies to go after me.

In point of fact, the Missouri state's "Guido will get you!" letter demonstrated that Missouri had a copy of my Federal tax return. Running the numbers from my fed return and W2 is all Missouri needed to do to know that they owed me and should be happy to have me not file. So I'm still not sure why they didn't root for me to forget all about it. Not complaining though! >:)

[rowyn]

My guess on why they care now is either (a) 2007 was the first year they had technology that let them find non-filers easily or (b) I crossed some arbitrary income threshhold where they decided it was on average worth it to make sure I filed. Tracking down non-filers with incomes of less than $10,000, like I had when I was in college, is really a waste of time for them.

Even so, I'm betting on (a) and not (b). >:)