Strange IRS letter

[jasdlm]

Client (spouse died in April of 2006) received a letter from the IRS (I think . . . it doesn't look like anything from the IRS I've ever seen. The logo at the top left is fuzzy, etc.). The letter is from Internal Revenue Service, 3651 S. Interregional Highway, Austin, TX 73301. The left hand corner has fuzzy IRS logo, then U.S. Department of the Treasury, Austin Submission Processing Center.

Under the IRS address it says: Refer Reply To: and gives a 5 digit number, then Stop: 6182 AUSC and Date: then date.

Text:

Dear Taxpayer:

Our records indicate the Social Security Number you provided is that of your decedent spouse. We have corrected your return to reflect you as the Primary Taxpayer using your Social Security Number. Please use your Social Security Number on all future filings.

If you have any questions, you may call the IRS telephone number listed in your local directory or 1-800-829-0922. An employee there may not be able to help you, but the office at the address shown at the top of this letter is most familiar with your case., If you prefer, you may write to us at the address shown on this letter.

Whenever you write, please include this letter and, in the space below, give us your telephone number with the hours we can reach you. Keep a copy of this letter for your records.

***Place for phone # and Hours***

We apologize for any inconvenience, and thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely, yours,

Jackie D. Reilly

Document Perfection Operations Manager

****

Client's SSN IS accurate on return, and was accurate in 2006 (and no 2006 notice was sent). There is no tax year referenced on the letter, nor is either my client's SSN or her deceased husband's SSN listed. If they have changed her SSN, I'm not sure what they changed it to, but I'm hesitant to call because I sort of smell a scam (although that seems a bit over the top).

Thoughts?

[OldJack]

Thoughts?

The final joint 1040 tax return had the deceased taxpayer shown first as the "taxpayer" with the surviving spouse listed on the second line. A dead person should be the one listed as a spouse and the survivor should be shown as the taxpayer on the first line of the tax return and as such would have the survivor's social security number as the "primary" number on the tax return. Its just a preparer error, that is all this letter is about.

[JohnH]

I didn't know that.

Looks like I learned something today in spite of my best efforts not to do so.

[jasdlm]

Thanks so much, Old Jack. Would you mind telling me where I can find this instruction? I want to make sure I'm not missing anything else. I tried searching the IRS website but was not successful.

Thanks!

[OldJack]

Thanks so much, Old Jack. Would you mind telling me where I can find this instruction? I want to make sure I'm not missing anything else. I tried searching the IRS website but was not successful.

Thanks!

I don't know if there is any such instruction Jasdlm. Its just logical that a dead person cannot be the "taxpayer" and sign the joint tax return. In other words a dead person files a 1041. I expect that the IRS processing department is being a bit picky to send such a letter and that is why it is not up to the usual appearance.

[jklcpa]

I've never heard that either, so I too learned something new here. But I suspect that I'll forget it in a few minutes! :)

[bstaxes]

If the notice is for 2006, then the primary is the primary taxpayer, deceased or not. If the notice is for 2007 then the deceased should not be on the return unless qualified widow. I have filed a couple of these returns in the past 2 years where one taxpayer (primary) died and never received a letter from the IRS. Without a tax year I would wonder.

I had one where the estimated went under the deceased taxpayer ssn and did not get to the return. I called the IRS and they corrected it. But they always gave the ssn and a date. YES I would wonder if it is a scam. I not really trusting people or companies today.

[indyscott]

I"ve always listed the primary and secondary names the way they had always been listed on the returns, (ie. dead primary T still gets primary spot) since that's the way the two taxpayers have always been listed on the 1040's and that's the way they are in IRS records.

Instructions from the 1040 say: "Enter 'Filing as surviving spouse' in the area where you sign the return.

Dead people don't snore.. or, do they?

[GeneInAlabama]

I have never seen a letter from the IRS that didn't show a year and a social security number. This looks suspicious to me. I too have filed a number of returns where the primary taxpayer was deceased and listed them as primary. I have never had a problem with that.

[BulldogTom]

There is a spot on the IRS website to report suspected scams. While it is totaly plausible that this is legitimate, it don't smell right to me as you describe it. I would report it as a potential scam.

Tom

Lodi, CA

[Jack from Ohio]

If it did originate at the IRS, they would have at least known the taxpayer's name and SS#. I smell a SCAM! Although, the phone number is the IRS. I think I would shred it. If it were important, it would have had personalized information in the letter.

[OldJack]

I smell a SCAM!

There is absolutely nothing I see in this letter to indicate that this is a scam? The letter is not asking for the taxpayer to do anything or even reply. Other than a fuzzy logo what would make you think there is anything for a scam artist to benefit from such a letter? Check the envelope to see if there was postage paid by an individual (a stamp) or was prepaid by the government. It is normal for tax preparers to be suspicious people but are we all getting a little paranoid? :)

[zeke]

methinks a little paranoia to be a good thing.

zeke