TaxCPANY Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 November 26, 2011, I certified-mailed a formal protest to the District of Columbia Office of Tax & Revenue of penalties & interest assessed against a client. This past Tuesday I called-in, having heard nothing since. The agent I reached stated that no such protest had been recorded! I since have certified-mailed a "duplicate original" of that protest -- to the ATTN of the agent I spoke with -- that included a copy of the Track & Confirm webpage from USPS.com showing the original trace. Even if my client achieves the abatement I seek, I feel I should alert both some kind of DC OTR ombudsman *and* 'someone' representing us practitioners in DC to this really-extraordinary misfeasance. Does anyone here in the 'community' have such contacts whom I should notify? Really, in over 30 years of practice, this is the *first* time I've seen a Cert-Mailed document 'lost,' not just mis-timed. Most truly yours, TaxCPANY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pacun Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 Welcome to DC. They are the worst and good luck trying to solve any issue. I have lost clients because they are so inefficient. In the past, I have dealt with the head of the "Practitioner's office" and I can see that no one knows much about taxes or technology. I only send tax return by mail or electronically. If there is an issue, I go to the customer service, get a number and have a seat for a couple of hours. When my situation is a no brainer, I get good results, but when the situation requires some thinking or analyzing, I have to make many more trips. They do have better software than the IRS but it seems that only very few people know how to use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaxCPANY Posted January 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 Thank you, Pacun, Looks like I'm in for a hard one. If I get no satisfaction with the agent I spoke to/re-sent the protest to, would you consider collaborating with me in seeking redress -- i.e., bringing my client's case along with those you next bring to OTR? (No way I could get to DC, myself.) Please PM me, if so, and I would lay it all out for you, propose a formal engagement if it seems worth both our whiles. Hopefully yours, TaxCPANY Welcome to DC. They are the worst and good luck trying to solve any issue. I have lost clients because they are so inefficient. In the past, I have dealt with the head of the "Practitioner's office" and I can see that no one knows much about taxes or technology. I only send tax return by mail or electronically. If there is an issue, I go to the customer service, get a number and have a seat for a couple of hours. When my situation is a no brainer, I get good results, but when the situation requires some thinking or analyzing, I have to make many more trips. They do have better software than the IRS but it seems that only very few people know how to use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pacun Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 No problem. Let me know if you need my assistance. Filing anything for you will not create any extra steps for me since I normally collect 2 or 3 cases and deal with them in one trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jainen Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 >>in over 30 years of practice, this is the *first* time<< Washington D.C. is not unique in this, but it is at the heart of the public hysteria to cut public spending while demanding more services. You Internet download notwithstanding, the problem might well be the post office and not the DC folks at all. But it probably is in the revenue office mail room--from Thanksgiving to the end of the year is local government's prime time for furloughs and other forms of clerical understaffing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaxCPANY Posted January 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 It indeed is deplorable that revenue agencies in more jurisdictions than ever are being squeezed -- in a Grover Norquist-inspired vendetta -- Jainen. But the bean-counter in me must pipe up: I have the digital Cert Mail receipt that shows a DC OTR staffer's signature for my November package; so it's not the USPS's problem (unless USPS has a surreal capability of faking signatures & stamped dates -- but I really don't want to go there). Please note, too, that I have had to deal with the NYC Dept. of Finance for 30 years, which, until this incident, I would have called "the worst" (or, perhaps, equally as bad as the Los Angeles Office of Finance). Thank you for identifying a seasonality to protest-processing that I hadn't suspected. Really; it makes sense. Collegially yours, TaxCPANY >>in over 30 years of practice, this is the *first* time<< Washington D.C. is not unique in this, but it is at the heart of the public hysteria to cut public spending while demanding more services. You Internet download notwithstanding, the problem might well be the post office and not the DC folks at all. But it probably is in the revenue office mail room--from Thanksgiving to the end of the year is local government's prime time for furloughs and other forms of clerical understaffing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaxCPANY Posted January 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 Thank you VERY much, Pacun If I do need your assistance, it not only would be right to compensate you but also essential to give you confidential information about my client. That's why I feel we should discuss this further via PM -- IF & when I've failed to "get satisfaction" on my own. VTY, TaxCPANY No problem. Let me know if you need my assistance. Filing anything for you will not create any extra steps for me since I normally collect 2 or 3 cases and deal with them in one trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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