IRS Woes

I am officially tired of dealing with the IRS. I have tried to be patient, loving, kind, long-
suffering...you know, all the fruits of the Spirit...but the IRS just seems to keep pickin' my fruit before its ripe!

See, in 2008, Dave and I found out that someone had stolen our SSNs and thought it would be a good idea to file fraudulent tax returns for CY 2007 in our names. Thank you Liberty Tax in Miami FL and Jackson Hewett in Sunrise, FL for your fine and accurate (NOT!) way of identifying your customers! Apparently it made sense to these tax companies that Dave and I would travel 12 hours from NORTH FL PANHANDLE to SOUTH FL to file our tax returns.....and because they are so good and thorough at checking people's identities, they DID NOT ask for a picture ID nor did they make a COPY of the picture ID of the people who were posing as US. So, for 2008, the IRS thinks we owe them lots of money...instead of the IRS owing us a nice, big refund. :~(

Fast forward to now...I'll save you most the drama of dealing w/the IRS over the last year with this exception: The IRS has a branch of people whose sole purpose in life is to work fraudulent tax returns...the TAX ADVOCATE. We have been working with our TAX ADVOCATE for the last 13 months. He is a really nice guy, but way overworked. Six months ago, we sent our packet of identification...copy of SSN, paperwork from SS office saying we are who we say we are, signed copies of forms saying we promise we didn't file the fraudulent return, copies of bills with our names and current address, hair samples, blood samples, and our first born son...sorry, Shane :~) Anyway, we got a lovely letter from the IRS (the real IRS, not the advocate) yesterday saying they were taking our 2008 REFUND and applying it to what we OWE for 2007 and would we PLEASE send them the rest of the balance we owe...WE DON"T OWE YOU ANYTHING YOU OWE US A REFUND DUMMIES! Called the IRS advocate today...and he says, "I know its taking a long time for you and I'm really sorry. I have HUNDREDS of other cases just like yours that are taking a long time. I'll add you to my priority list and start working on your case next week..." Um, yeah....that's what you said in June....

Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control..." IRS, will you kindly PLEASE QUIT PICKIN' MY FRUIT!