A Chuckle with the IRS

By Jerry Stewart

Rarely does a day go by in my office that someone is having some conversation or correspondence with the IRS. And it most always is a solemn or serious matter, which we are trying to keep our client out of some trouble. But just last week, something the IRS said made me really laugh.

If you’ve ever called the IRS, you know that you normally have a long time to wait. And for us professionals, who use what the IRS calls their "practitioners hotline," even we have to wait a while. And while you wait, they play music. The same music over and over during the hold time. But the other day they inserted a series of messages, suggestions for taxpayers.

Well, as I did my best to ignore the music, working at my computer, this IRS message came, something about W-4’s and payroll, I wasn’t really listening. Then I heard the recording say that if I needed help on these matters I should ask my sister. Hold it, what did they just say? Ask my sister? Well, now they had my attention. So as the music came back on I listened and waited for that special message about my sister. And it did. An instruction message. And, as the end came, I listened closely. It said that if I need further help I should ask my "assister." Oh, my assister, not my sister.

Well, this started me to chuckle, and the chuckle became bigger until it was an all out laugh…and at just the wrong moment, the IRS person came on the line and began giving me his name and ID number. But I couldn’t stop laughing. He thought I was laughing at him. Now I was about to get in trouble…big trouble…with the IRS.

Finally, I forced myself to stop laughing and as I wiped my tears from my eyes, I told the IRS person how I had mistook the message, thought they said I should ask my sister for tax advice, and how the whole thought just tickled me.

Well, by now it wasn’t funny anymore. All I could do was wait and see if the IRS person saw the humor in my story. For a moment there was silence on the other end. He must think I’m crazy. And then it came; this IRS assister busted up laughing too. It was so silly that it was funny. And, it was a nice break from the extreme pressures you normally encounter when talking with the IRS.

My point? In case you didn’t know, the people working at the IRS are actually human. But they have a job. So, when you speak with the IRS, treat them with the same courtesy you would treat any other human, even your sister! You’ll go a lot further. Don’t forget, the money you save…."It’s Your Money."