What's the most feared item you can get in your mail? An IRS audit letter might be at the top of the list. I arrived 'home' safely and the next day was dedicated to the mountain of unopened mail that had poured in while I was basking in the Mexican sol.
The mail that arrived from WA state was the batch that held the IRS audit. It read, you have until March 25th to respond and you owe us $7000 and it will increase if you don't respond on time. GULP!
Ok, I can handle this challenge and began to dig into my files for my 2007 documents. I do my taxes using TAX CUT, and all the data was safely stored on my computer.....or so I thought. When I attempted to open the documents, I thought I heard a hideous laugh from my laptop.
"Unable to open" 2nd GULP.
Ok, I can handle this challenge. Let's see if my super backup hard drive was used properly, a year ago. I don't keep the drive connected to my computer, so I was wishing that I had the discipline to back up all my files. Whew! I did, and the files showed up.
I quickly found errors in the IRS summary for the first two items. The second 5 items were a bit more challenging and involved finding documents showing the cost basis for the sale of 70 different stocks/funds. That meant coming up with the purchase date, sale date, cost basis, sale price, and finally the profit/loss amounts. Then I had to separate the long term sales from the short term sales. Over 400 data points, and they needed to be entered into a new Schedule D form which typically has space allocated for 6 entries.
I found the forms on my tax program and began to print them out. NOT. Out of paper.
Ok, I can handle that challenge. Go buy some paper.
Meanwhile, with all the opened mail filling my office, I decided to make good use of time, and began to shred the unwanted mail. NOT. Shredder motor decided to give off a distinctive odor.....like a burnt offering.
Ok, I can handle that challenge. Go buy another shredder.
As I drove to my local distributor of office products, I realized that my favorite pub was in-line with my travels.
Ok, I can handle that challenge. At least I had the discipline to pick up the products, then stop for a pint of Sierra Nevada.
After working the numbers and filling in the requisite forms, I brought my liability down from $7000 to $104. Whew! I can live with that. Not to get the documents gathered, stapled and ready for the Monday morning Priority Express at the USPO.
7:30am the PO opened and I was at the door. Mission accomplished. NOT!
I was 6 blocks away, refilling my Green SUV with fuel, when I realized that the $104 check was in my pocket and not in the recently mailed package. GULP!
Ok, I can handle that challenge. I zipped back to the post office, and took my place in line which by now had lengthened considerably. I spotted the person who had handled the precious package and waited until he was available. Now do you think that it was possible to retrieve a Priority Package from a postal authority, have them open it, insert a small but critical check, reseal it and return it to it's place in the system?
Welcome to small-town America.......yes it was possible. He even laughed as I explained my 'challenge'. I decided to return, later that afternoon, to my favorite pub, and share 'the rest of the story' with the beverage administrators.