We Won!

I had thought we were nearly done with our IRS ordeal back in March, but I was wrong. Everything got stalled again. Our next step was to get a tax advocate.

It took months for the tax advocate to gather all the relevant information and make her recommendations. Then it took time for the IRS to figure out exactly how much they owed us.

But in the end we did finally get our money back. They sent us a big fat check, and when our tax advocate gave us the green light, we cashed it. And after we cashed it, they discovered that they actually owed us more, so they sent us another check. We got all of our money back plus interest, and we ended our year with some money in the bank.

I had always heard that IRS audits were to be avoided at all costs. I now know how very true that is. Even if you’re right (and it’s hard to be right given the complexities of the tax code), proving it can be difficult. There are all sorts of hoops to jump through, and you must jump through them exactly the way they want you to.

So yeah, don’t get audited! But if you do, know that you can fight them. It’s not easy, and it’s not fun, but it is possible to win!