Unfiltered Story #325728

I am an accountant. A client owned a store in Kansas City, Missouri. She filed, paid and mailed her sales tax information in December of a year to the Missouri Department of Revenue, timely. It was due December 25th of that year so the due date would be the next day.
The Revenue Department issued her a penalty for late payment.
My client asked me to look into the matter. (I practice in Kansas).
I called the department and asked if they kept a copy of the envelope to prove postmark. The copy I received was too blurred to make out.
I, then, called to attempt to have the penalty removed for the reason that follows.
Me: I have a copy of the cancelled check that shows it cleared my clients bank on December 26th, which was the due date.
MDOR: Our records have it recorded as being late and there is nothing
we can do about the penalty.
I knew there was no point in arguing, especially since the phone conversation followed the copy of the check with my letter concerning the matter.
A month later I received a copy of a warrant for my arrest. I called.
Me: Why is there a warrant for my arrest?
MDOR rep: You failed to appear for the delinquent tax on the court
date for that matter of sales tax the is shown on the
warrant.
Me: But I am not responsible for that.
MDOR: Since you are a partner in this business you ARE responsible.
Me: Can you pull up the business registration form for this company?
MDOR: Yes. I have it in front of me.
Me: Do you see a box check on business status that says Sole
Proprietorship
MDOR: Yes that box is checked on the application.
ME: Then how can I be a partner in a sole proprietorship?
MDOR: Well, its logged here that you called about the penalty.
ME: So? You assumed, then, that I was a partner, I told you who I was
when I made that call.
MDOR: I will issue and mail a release for that warrant.
A couple of weeks later I got the release and the instructions to file it.
ME: (another call to MDOR) What am I supposed to do with this release?
MDOR: You have to come to Jefferson City and file it and pay a filing fee.
ME: This was your mistake. You need to straighten this out.
MDOR: We can do that at this point. You will have to come to the
courthouse yourself, in person.
ME: Well, I am not going to do it.
MDOR: Sir, if you don’t and you come into Missouri you may be
arrested.
ME: I hope so.
MDOR: Why would you want that to happen.
ME: So I can own a large piece of your state.
I hung up. After several years the warrant was no long enforceable.
Me