Tax preparers receiving threats from frustrated filers

Some taxpayers apparently are so frustrated about delayed refunds that they are threatening their tax preparers.

The increasing disgruntlement of taxpayers whose refunds have been delayed, sometimes for weeks, because of Internal Revenue Service computer processing issues was mentioned during an IRS Oversight Board hearing on correspondence audits last month.

Bernie McKay, chairman of the Council for Electronic Revenue Communication Advancement, or CERCA, noted in his written testimony that early season filers are usually the ones most in need of tax refund money.

"When refunds are delayed and status information is not available or reliable, private sector tax call center staff suffer widespread verbal abuse from deeply frustrated taxpayers, while storefront associates have been physically threatened or even sustained personal property damage (e.g., rocks through car windshield)," according to McKay.

"We did not go into detail about specific incidents, but if you talk to any tax practitioner in the country, they will say that there were challenges that they had," CERCA spokesman Mike Cavanagh told Accounting Today.

This is why I don't do other people's taxes.

Even so, I'm getting some folks venting here at the ol' blog. One reader just today shared the frustration that many have with the IRS delay in issuing refunds:

"I don't understand why you're taking so long with refunding our money. I am in my sixth week right now ... and you can't tell me where my refund is. I am pissed off. I don't care what problem you are having at the IRS or if the White House has put you all into debt. It's not the taxpayers' problem. I would like to know why I can't find out where my money is? Someone needs to find it and send it to me or at least call me with my status."

The IRS swears things are improving, but obviously not for this person.

Tax pros, are you hearing the same client complaints?

Is this year's refund delay situation causing more than the usual grumbling from customers? Have any been extreme?

Here's hoping that no one ends up facing a dangerously agitated tax client and that the IRS gets these delayed tax refunds out ASAP.

You also might find these items of interest:

• Tax preparer charged with trying to have two clients killed
• $153 million in tax refunds returned as undeliverable
• Tax refunds: Spending tips, payroll withholding effects

Comments

[Sherry]

Well I'm a taxpayer, and I have been waiting 72 days for my money. That makes it 10 weeks.

[Christine]

I am Tax Preparer and I have had some clients who are very unhappy about the delays in receving their Tax Refunds this year, only had one threat from a client. Guess what? I am also one of those Taxpayers who fell into the black hole of the refund delays with the IRS so I can understand their frustrations but even if I share my story of how long I have been waiting they just think that it is something on my end, well I filed my taxes at home not at my place of work and I got caught up in the mess from acceptance by the IRS until my refund it was 2 days short of 7 weeks for my direct deposit to hit. Dont get me started on the amount of rejects this year for duplicate SSN#s for spouses or kids that when they file on Paper or call the IRS they say it was never rejected in the first place but we have documentation it was...every year it is something different with the IRS and I am sad to say this is my last year of doing taxes, I have been preparing Taxes since 1983 and I am done between the IRS problems and having to take classes on my own and pay my PTIN and Competancy Test out of my pocket since I work for a small employer I can no longer afford it.

[Samina]

I've not had had clients complain that their refunds are delayed, but they've mentioned that they know others experiencing delays. No one's threatened me yet, though!