Taxing Really Lives Up To Its Name

I am a female veteran and I have just moved to a new state right before tax season. As such, all my paperwork is from out of state. When I register at my new Veterans Affairs office, I’m told there is free tax prep, where you fill out paperwork at the VA and the tax people call you to confirm. So, in February, I fill out all the paperwork at the office and it is sent off. I’m told the tax people will contact me in April.

April rolls around and I get a voicemail from the tax people. I try to call back to arrange an appointment with them, but I just get their inbox saying it is too full to leave a message. I call the VA office and they assure me it is just because they are so busy, but I will be contacted by April 15th.

On Tax Day 2019, I finally get an actual caller on the phone, who tells me they are calling because I do not qualify for the tax prep! As all my paperwork is out of state from my previous job, I am outside their jurisdiction.

The woman tries to hang up on me, but what she doesn’t realize is that I was a Drill Sergeant. And I let her have it. I remind her that I am a veteran, that other veterans use this service with the understanding that we are taken care of, and that the least they could do was call me and tell me. I also tell her that the VA office did not give me notice, which means they have given wrong information to the VA, and they are now officially responsible for whatever wrong information is incurred.

The woman on the other end is very meek and apologizes over and over again, but I just hang up on her, as it is the afternoon and I now have less than five hours to get my taxes done. Luckily, I do it online and it is not as hard as expected.

The next time I am at the VA, I stop by the office and inform them of the call. They are absolutely furious, as no one has ever told them that and they have sent in paperwork from out of state before! They tell me that if the IRS contacts me or if there is a problem to immediately come to them and they will make sure the tax people are held responsible.

While I don’t think there will be a problem for this year, I’m going to shell out the money for tax prep next year.