A letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) arrived in the mailbox.
It could mean that it processed a first-time taxpayer’s tax filing and was about to give a refund, so it was left on the side of the desk. Two months after filing, the refund still hadn’t been deposited.
It was two weeks after the letter arrived when I finally realized the reason why. The letter stated I needed to see an assistant from the IRS to process the tax return. How many people get a letter from the IRS on their first filing saying their refund was disqualified?
The CPA, who had prepared my taxes, said to visit an IRS office, suggesting it could be a case of either a stolen Social Security number or the IRS randomly selecting taxpayers to verify the information.
On the IRS website, the only Saturdays available for walk-ins without an appointment were April 13 and May 18.
At 8:30 a.m. on April 13, the IRS office in downtown Los Angeles had a line longer than a roller coaster wait at an amusement park. Some people brought folding chairs and packed lunches.
Arriving 30 minutes before the office opened was not enough time to find a parking space. I paid $15 to park in a nearby mall lot, only to find myself at the back of a long line surrounding the building. I was told I wouldn’t be able to get in until 4 p.m., or maybe not at all if I wasn’t lucky enough. After two hours of waiting, the line had barely thinned out.
In a desperate phone call to get any help from the IRS, a Tax Assistance Service Center representative said an IRS agent must meet in person to verify the information. There were two options: visit the nearest IRS office as a walk-in or make an appointment. Having already seen and waited in endless lines, I opted for an appointment.
However, the local IRS office was booked through June. The only other option was to go to the Van Nuys office, which was 20 miles away from Los Angeles Koreatown, and appointments were available only on weekdays.
The IRS office in Van Nuys was fairly tranquil compared to the one in downtown LA. After entering the building and having my bags go through a security check, I was finally able to step into the IRS office. After about five people waiting for their turn, my number was called. I presented a Form 1040 for the 2023 tax return, a driver’s license, and the notice letter. It took an hour and a half to verify all the information.
“As a measure to protect taxpayers from identity theft, we sometimes request an in-person meeting with first-time tax filers to verify their identity,” said an IRS employee. “The IRS will check your tax records, and if there are no issues, your refund will be processed within 90 days. If there is an issue, we may ask you to make another visit,” he added.
I filed my first tax return on February 14. As of May 30, nothing had changed except for a message that my return had been received.
BY HAEUN CHUNG, HOONSIK WOO [chung.haeun@koreadaily.com]
