IRS mistakenly sends woman refund check for more than $400,000
Most people in Las Vegas file their tax return and wait patiently for their refund check to arrive in the mail. There are usually no surprises. However, one woman recently received a refund check that made her wonder if she had won the lottery.
A waitress filed her tax return and was expecting to receive a refund check for around $750 from the IRS. Just days ago, though, the woman opened her mailbox and found a refund check for $434,712.
The waitress thought about what she could do with the money. After having her first vacation in more than 20 years just last October, she said a trip to Hawaii would be nice.
Some people urged her to keep the money and cash the check. However, fearing that she could face penalties from the IRS, the woman returned the check just a day after it arrived in her mailbox.
Responding to the mistake, the IRS says that errors do occur. They said, however, that they are less likely to occur when people file their tax returns online.
The waitress was intending to use her tax refund to fix her car. Because her real refund check won’t arrive for another six weeks, friends and a local television station agreed to give her the money.
Had the check been written for a lot less, the woman may have mistakenly cashed it. In many cases, innocent mistakes land people in trouble with the IRS. When someone in Las Vegas is involved in a dispute with the IRS, it is best to rely on the expertise of a tax law attorney.
Source: USA Today, “Cleveland waitress receives huge IRS refund check by mistake,” Dick Russ, May 31, 2012
