Arriving at Harv’s Metro Car Wash in midtown (Sacramento) Wednesday afternoon were two dark-suited IRS agents demanding payment of delinquent taxes. “They were deadly serious, very aggressive, very condescending,” says Harv’s owner, Aaron Zeff.
The really odd part of this: The letter that was hand-delivered to Zeff’s on-site manager showed the amount of money owed to the feds was … 4 cents.
Inexplicably, penalties and taxes accruing on the debt – stemming from the 2006 tax year – were listed as $202.31, leaving Harv’s with an obligation of $202.35.
Zeff, who also owns local parking lots and is the president of the Midtown Business Association, finds the situation a bit comical.
“It’s hilarious,” he says, “that two people hopped in a car and came down here for just 4 cents. I think (the IRS) may have a problem with priorities.”
Gotta pay down the deficit somehow.
Some mafia thugs turned up and…
They turned up to collect the protection money you owe the private bank in interest for lending the country money to bail out the front companies of the people that own the bank that lent you money at interest.
Shut up slave!
This is about the LAW, not what’s owed. We can’t just let people think they can skirt the laws. If needed, we will spend untold sums of taxpayer dollars to insure justice is served!
/s
Just my 4 cents worth, the agents probably didn’t know the amount demanded in the letter. They just delivered sealed letters to people for whom they’d received them.
Yep, and no money for health care reform. More pressing matters like sending out 2 IRS agents in probably standard issue government Crown Vic (big American V8 engine of course) to shake people down for pennies.
Yes, America, that is the sound of the rest of the 1st world nations laughing at you, not with you.
The amount was $202.35, the real story is the guy was dumb enough to let .04 gain interest and penalties that total 202.35. Getting kind of tired of these misleading headlines.
These events are staged every year around tax-time just to scare you away from cutting the smallest corner on your own taxes.
4 cents is a rounding error that grew to $202.35. The real story is that an honest guy wasn’t aware of it. It’s a clear sign the US tax code and laws are a mess.
“You know”—THIS TIME its about 4 cents, but if the LAW is not enforced, NEXT TIME it could be 8 cents.
Crime will double if not enforced.
((Actually==much the same “sense” of priorities exist with drugs and many other laws. There is harm, real harm, common sense, freedom, etc.))
#6: Stop being a _____ (pick an appropriate word). It started as 4 cents taxes owed, exactly as the headline stated. You can’t argue that. Also, clearly, there is some kind of error in that it isn’t possible for a 4 cent shortage could grow in only 4 years to be over $200.
Why didn’t he just shoot them? Surely they were trespassing or something.
#10–UD==”Stop being a TOOL.” works for me. So Rider, the more real issue is that a 4 cent fine can even grow to $202 dontcha think? Or that free citizens in a free country would/should even give 4 cents a second consideration?
If however YOU focus on the $202, I wonder how many 4 cent issues are subverting your life.
Heh, heh.
“I could be a rambler from the seven dials
I don’t pay taxes ’cause I never file
I don’t do business that don’t make me smile
I love my aeroplane ’cause she’s got style
I’m a treetop flyer”
-Stephen Stills
I like his attitude.
This kind of retardedness isn’t limited to the US. Here in NZ I owe the IRD (NZ IRS equivalent) $20.06. They also owe me $462.12. I thought “hey I’ll just leave it and they’ll take what I owe out of my existing credit”, but no. My debt is generating letter after letter, warning after warning and will soon no doubt incur penalties. Is good to know my taxes are going towards paying the salaries of people to follow up on this kind of stuff…
Men in black. Black car. Black suits. Dark sunglasses. Speaking in monotone. Leave no finger prints. Forgettable names. Looking for fluorescent green mucus trails.
The new Obama deficit theme song:
Every penny is sacred.
(with apologies to Monty Python’s “The Meaning of Life”)
I have 4 cents to lend.
Interest rate is 843% compounded annually, the IRS rate.
You can pay me back $202.05 in 4 years.
Aw heck, keep it for 16 years and pay me back $26,019,624,000,000.04
That’s right, .04 compounded at 843% annually is 26 trillion dollars.
… enough to pay off your national debt twice, with a trillion to spare.
We can’t afford a future because we spent it in the past.
govt is all about wasting money to “make” money
the stupid census has sent me 2 letters already to tell me that they’re going to send me a census form soon. They want to await it eagerly.
Not to mention their dumbass commercials they blew millions of dollars to have a bunch of has beens sitting in a room doing nothing
also the public library sends out letters to my kids telling them that the books they reserved are ready to be picked up…….usually after they’ve been picked up, read and returned. Ever hear of email? they reserve the books online, why not send an email notice for free!!
Maybe it is different with business taxes, but everything I do with the IRS gets rounded to the nearest dollar. I think computer error will be the ultimate explanation.
$202 owed for 4 cents, then how much does Timothy Geithner owe?
#22
He doesn’t owe anything, he’s already in hell according to most people. Can’t do much worse, or if you could it’s won’t matter.
I’m calling bull on this. It is my understanding that anything less than $1.00, either way, is forgiven.
The really odd part of this: The letter that was hand-delivered to Zeff’s on-site manager showed the amount of money owed to the feds was … 4 cents.
frivolous-tax-arguments-part-ii