IRS screws up & sends you two checks what do you do

[freetobegay]

This hapened to me I got a second check today. I was at the bank so fast it would have made your head spin!

If they find the mistake I'll worry later on paying it back.

[RC]

1. Pay it back before or after you get out of jail?

[mr_hat]

2. I would have sent the dupe back fast enough to make your head spin.

[RC]

3. delete

[SoCalDem]

4. deposit the second one in a separate account

and wait til they send a letter.. Or just put the check in a safe place until just before it "expires"..:) then deposit it.Do not spend it.:)

[freetobegay]

5. Thats a good idea thanks!

[TexasProgresive]

6. you will pay it back with interest and penalties. n/t

[Guaranteed]

7. Ohhh...dude.

You cashed it?

They're going to be coming after you with the dogs...the DOGS, man!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

8. Pay it back immediately

They WILL realize their error eventually, and they have six years to do so.

[NoPasaran]

9. Don't even think about depositing it

If the IRS made a mistake, they will want the money back. If you have deposited the check, you will pay a penalty. At least that's what a friend of mine who worked at the IRS told me a few years ago when I unexpectedly received a check.

[madmax]

10. Send one back

When they catch up with you, and they will - you will be forever on their 'list'. Is it really worth it? We advise - you decide ;)

[salvorhardin]

11. Send it back YESTERDAY!

You need to call the IRS immediately and tell them about their error and find out the best place to send it back to. Be sure to get the name, position and address and phone number of the person you spoke with. Then you need to send it back via certified signature-receipt USPS mail. Be sure to keep your receipt from the post office.

Believe me, this is something you don't want to mess with. Like another poster said, they have years to realize the error of their ways.

[4_Legs_Good]

12. Ask my tax lady! (and my mom's Social Security story)

How the hell to send it back and make sure they know it's there, but quickly forget all about me.

My mom had, unbeknownst to her, been receiving too much social security for a couple years. I don't think she ever even questioned it or wondered about it. Anyway, after a few years Social Security caught up with her and realized that they had made a mistake.

She is now trying to figure out how she can live on $500 less a month for 5 years while she's repaying it.

I doubt this stuff often slips by. I would certainly never risk it.

david

[Feanorcurufinwe]

13. I'd put it in some pile of unread mail

and find it in a few years when I'm cleaning out some box.

[Heddi]

14. Do not cash it. do not deposit it. Do not spend it.

Instead, call the IRS (they've got an 800# but I can't remember what it is) and tell them they've sent you two checks.

They *WILL* find out that they've sent you an extra check, and you *WILL* be held accountable for cashing the check, and you *MAY* get into trouble considering that you cashed the check (or deposited it or whatever) knowing that the check was sent in error.

They *WILL* penalize you for interest on the money. You *WILL* be at a higher risk for being audited in the future.

Seriously. Send the check back. The IRS will find out about the error. If they don't come after you directly (i.e. a letter stating that you need to either send the check back, or make a check out to them for the amount), they will directly withdraw the funds from your checking/savings account if it was deposited.

----

Similar, but slightly different story:

A guy I was dating once got an extra paycheck from his employer. He was salaried, and after he quit, they sent him one pay-check too many. He knew it was in error, but he cashed it anyways.

A few months later, when the company he worked for was doing internal accounting/auditing, they found out about the check sent in error. They contacted him about repayment of money from the check (They had gotten a copy of it so they knew he had presented it to a bank and either got money directly from cashing, or it was deposited). He refused. Said something to the effect of if they're stupid enough to send the check blah blah blah.

Well, cashing a check in that manner is called 'fraud'. You are receiving monies that you are not entitled too. Especially if you KNOW you're not entitled to the money.

Company ended up taking him to court over it.

Instead of coughing up the $600 or whatever the amount was and getting it over with, he had to pay nearly $1200 for court-costs and other things. The judge told him he was lucky that the police weren't involved (which they rightfully could have been) because he'd be facing the possibility of jail for third-degree fraud or some-such.

---

Just a warning. It's tempting to keep the money, but why risk it? You're going to have to pay it back at one time or another. Pay it back now. You know it's not yours. You know they overpaid you---SHit---You realize that DU'ers (and other Americans) are actually the people who put into that extra check you got, right?

Why risk getting an IRS agent on a bad day? They could literally pull out of the books age-old laws...whether for scare-tactics or for real. You're dealing with a FEDERAL AGENCY. A FEDERAL AGENCY who has their own set of rules and regulations to play by.

Fuck that. Instead of being at the bank 'so fast it would have made your head spin', I'd have been at the post office writing 'return to sender' so fast your head would have spun like a top.

[girl gone mad]

15. Send it back.

Take the advice of others on this thread. Send it back certified mail. Talk to someone as high up as possible at the IRS and be sure to get their employee ID information, or make a recording of your conversation (if legal in your state).

I spent years trying to resolve an issue with the IRS because of an error in their accounting. It's a long story, but essentially they taxed me fully on some stock sales without factoring in my cost basis, which was significant. They can be very aggressive, and finding your way through the beuraucracy is a nightmare. You don't want that kind of stress in your life.