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Proving to IRS That You Are Alive

BobKamman
Level 15

You think you have problems dealing with IRS?

This guy has problems dealing with IRS.

https://www.wjhl.com/news/regional/tennessee/hes-not-dead-east-tn-widower-trying-to-get-2020-tax-ref... 

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10 Comments 10
IRonMaN
Level 15

And the following story on that TV station was Rudy Giuliani holding a press conference in the parking lot at Tony's Tires and Tattoos proving that a dead guy was allowed to vote in this year's presidential election.


Slava Ukraini!
sjrcpa
Level 15

I had a client come to me with that situation once. She hadn't filed for several years because hey, they said she was dead.


Ex-AllStar
rbynaker
Level 13

A relative had that problem.  It took a Congressional Inquiry from Don Beyer's office to get things straightened out.

BobKamman
Level 15

I have a client who came home one day to find a letter from SSA addressed to his family, expressing their regrets over his death.  He lived within walking distance of the Social Security office, so he paid them a visit (this is pre-Covid) and they were not concerned, acting as if it happened all the time, and said they would take care of it.  Then he went to the bank (also walking distance) and they had closed his account and sent his last check back to Social Security.  

A few months after it was all straightened out, it happened again.   

abctax55
Level 15

Happened to me ~28 years ago, except it was a phone call from SSA.  A marriage (at 19 y/old... wish I knew now HALF of what I *thought* I knew then..) was incorrectly tagged by the State (Alabama) as a death.  They must have known the marriage wouldn't last 😂

Fast forward ~ten years to the time when SSA gets updated computers & viola - ummmmm I'm dead.

My first thoughts:

*Where has all my SS & Medi dollars been posted?

*IS this my chance to disappear?  (If I had know what 2020 & 2021 filing seasons would turn out to be like.... I should have disappeared).

Long process (too long to detail here) and a file that's 3-4 inches thick that eventually involved getting Senator Feinstein's office involved and I'm resurrected.   I have the letter from SSA basically saying "OK, we concede you ARE alive, but we can't promise this won't happen again".

Every time since then, when I've applied for a loan/mortgage, refinance, etc. I warn the lender in advance not to panic if I show up dead.

Funny now, but it was a bit of a nightmare at the time.

 

"*******Tax software is no substitute for a professional tax preparer*******
( Generic Comment )"
IRonMaN
Level 15

Welcome back from the dead 😉


Slava Ukraini!
abctax55
Level 15

TY, TYVM.  Most folks agree with you.

"*******Tax software is no substitute for a professional tax preparer*******
( Generic Comment )"
0 Cheers
rbynaker
Level 13

When all else fails, call your representatives and say "I can't vote for you anymore because SSA thinks I'm dead, is there anything that you can do about that?"

BobKamman
Level 15

I was living in Chicago when I turned 21.  The answer would have been, "So?"

rbynaker
Level 13

@BobKamman wrote:

I was living in Chicago when I turned 21.  The answer would have been, "So?"


Heck, in Chicago I would have expected the answer to be "how many times do you want to vote for me?"