Taxpayer dies after tax error

[bazooka]

This would totally suck.


http://reuters.excite.com//article/20041101/2004-11-01T124906Z_01_N01643090_RTRIDST_0_...ND-TAX-DC.html

Taxpayer Dies After Official Error
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Nov 1, 7:49 AM (ET)

WARSAW (Reuters) - A Polish taxpayer died from a heart attack after a demand for immediate payment in full of 80,000 zlotys ($23,560) following a mistake by the tax office.

Locksmith Zbigniew Macewicz died during a hearing in the central city of Bydgoszcz, where tax collectors demanded 80,000 zlotys because he failed to keep to a restructuring agreement.

But, in fact, the tax office had miscalculated one payment, telling Macewicz to pay 8.80 zlotys less than he should have and thus putting him in arrears on his repayment schedule.

The government expressed regret over the incident.

"I express my deep regret at the taxpayer's death," deputy Finance Minister Stanislaw Stec was quoted by the Gazeta Wyborcza daily as saying in Bydgoszcz, where he was sent to look into the matter.

He ordered an internal audit of the city's tax authorities.

[BJ_M]

that would be what -- 2 cents error

[yoda313]

This would totally suck.


http://reuters.excite.com//article/20041101/2004-11-01T124906Z_01_N01643090_RTRIDST_0_...ND-TAX-DC.html

Taxpayer Dies After Official Error
Email this Story

Nov 1, 7:49 AM (ET)

WARSAW (Reuters) - A Polish taxpayer died from a heart attack after a demand for immediate payment in full of 80,000 zlotys ($23,560) following a mistake by the tax office.

Locksmith Zbigniew Macewicz died during a hearing in the central city of Bydgoszcz, where tax collectors demanded 80,000 zlotys because he failed to keep to a restructuring agreement.

But, in fact, the tax office had miscalculated one payment, telling Macewicz to pay 8.80 zlotys less than he should have and thus putting him in arrears on his repayment schedule.

The government expressed regret over the incident.

"I express my deep regret at the taxpayer's death," deputy Finance Minister Stanislaw Stec was quoted by the Gazeta Wyborcza daily as saying in Bydgoszcz, where he was sent to look into the matter.

He ordered an internal audit of the city's tax authorities.

Hello,



What's that phrase????

The only thing certain in life is DEATH AND TAXES!

Kevin

--poor guy ---

[bazooka]

that would be what -- 2 cents error

No.

You did not read the article.

It is about twenty three thousand dollars.

[BJ_M]

i did read - ALL of it

"But, in fact, the tax office had miscalculated one payment, telling Macewicz to pay 8.80 zlotys less than he should have and thus putting him in arrears on his repayment schedule. "

8.80 zlotys is about 2 cents i think - and that was the error ...

[adam]

No.

You did not read the article.

It is about twenty three thousand dollars.

Which was requested in full, as opposed to in accordance with his repayment schedule, because of an error amounting to about $2 (by my count, but I suck at math.) That's what BJ_M meant.

[bazooka]

Yeah, I realize that now. My goof. Sorry.

[adam]

edit

[bazooka]

Edit.

[ViRaL1]

Edit.

[jimmalenko]

Edit.


BTW, what are we editing ?

[ViRaL1]

I was wondering that myself, but I hate to be left out. No sheep jokes either, I don't want Capmaster chasing me around.

[adam]

My quotes were messed up and I hit the quote button on my post instead of edit. So then I had two near identical posts, so I just "edit"ed my last one out. The rest of you guys are just silly.

[Doramius]

Hello,



What's that phrase????

The only thing certain in life is DEATH AND TAXES!

Kevin

--poor guy ---

There are 2 quotes, the second is just to be funny and came after Sear reinstated their sale days.

There are 2 things you can be certain of: Death & Taxes

You can count on 3 things in life. Death, Taxes, and a Sale at Sears.

EDIT: I didn't want to be left out either.

If the tax people are at error they shouldn't have demanded the amount in full. I don't know what the laws are in Poland, but in the US a tax error like that might get you a reduced amount you have to pay on the back amount and you have the right to continue a routine payment program.

[BJ_M]

i think they figured out they were in error after the fact

[Doramius]

Do you think they should absolve any of the tax debt and pay for the guy's funeral. I mean the guy could have done without the stress. That could be a strong arguement for his family to sue the tax bureau, If they can do that there.

[Tommyknocker]

A heart attack is a heart attack. Where he had it is immaterial. If he did not have to go to court, he probably would have had it in the peace and quiet of his own home.

[BJ_M]

hah - it's the government .. ! you will notget anything out of them and you can't sue them in most places

[Tommyknocker]

Of course you can sue the IRS. That's where most new tax laws come from. The government got its butt kicked the first time it tried to levy taxes on income. It was sued and lost the case. So they had to adopt a constitutional amendment to tax income.

[BJ_M]

income tax in the usa is still not legal ... they are using a loophole to levy it ... it is pretty complicated method ...

[Doramius]

A heart attack is a heart attack. Where he had it is immaterial. If he did not have to go to court, he probably would have had it in the peace and quiet of his own home.

It can be equally fought that he may not have had the heart attack at all had he not had the undue stress.

[BJ_M]

you cant sue them if they made a mistake and take everything -- they have to make some sort of restitution and thats it ...

same sort of thing happens all the time - police raid wrong house , auto confiscated because drugs found in it , but not yours .. etc etc etc ...

[Doramius]

That depends too. I've seen people fight it and show that there was incompetence on the part of the officer or wrong information given that wasn't verified correctly. They have to make restitution yes, but there have been instances where the innocent can file a complaint of "Wrongful Action". It is very hard to push, but it has been done.

[Tommyknocker]

Normally they are brought on by a pre-existing medical condition, usually a blocked or damaged artery. Kind of hard to say a tax error did that to him.

[Doramius]

If I show up at your door with a 10-gauge shot gun and you have a heart attack from it without a pre-existing condition, I would still be convicted of murder. I'd also be convicted of a lot of other things too.

[Capmaster]

If I show up at your door with a 10-gauge shot gun and you have a heart attack from it without a pre-existing condition, I would still be convicted of murder. I'd also be convicted of a lot of other things too.

But if you were holding a 10-gauge shotgun, they might decide to arrest you "some other time"

[Doramius]

It's funny how persuasive a few pounds of metal and wood can create a huge intimidation factor. If I hold up a Picture frame to a person, I get a completely different effect. Go figure.

[Capmaster]

It's funny how persuasive a few pounds of metal and wood can create a huge intimidation factor. If I hold up a Picture frame to a person, I get a completely different effect. Go figure.

That's also true of produce.

[Doramius]

I can't keep the watermelon in place long enough.