* * * * *
                                        
                          “We regret to inform you … ”
                                        
It's always nerveracking when one receives a letter from the IRS (Internal
Revenue Service) [1], especially since this years tax-bill was a bit on the
large side. As I was opening it, I kept expecting to see something like:

> Dear Mr. Conner:
> 
> Congratulations!
> 
> You have been randomly selected to recieve a full audit of your taxes for
> the past five (5) years, starting with the 1997 tax year (and remember, we
> never make mistakes). Please call the number below to schedule time for
> your audit at our convenience.
> 
> And thank you for using the IRS. Have a nice day.
> 

So I was rather surprising to read:

> Dear Mr. Conner:
> 
> Re regret to inform you that you have overpaid your taxes for the 2004 tax
> year and are therefore entitled to receive money back. We calculated that
> your income as [some amount lower than I calculated] and therefore your tax
> liability should have been [about 80% of what I actually calculated]. If
> this is okay, do nothing and you should receive a check from us for the
> difference. If however, you think we are in error, please feel free to
> contact us so we can flag you for a full audit.
> 
> And thank you for using the IRS. Have a nice day.
> 

I certainly wasn't expecting that!

The second letter from them was the actual refund check.

Sweet!

[1] http://www.irs.gov/

Email author at sean@conman.org

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