A Detroit lawyer received two letters one for tax payment and other for tax returns, the funny part is that the letters and mailing labels would have cost more than the value demanded for.
The Detroit defense lawyer received one letter in November that said he owed the IRS money — five cents.
He was warned that he should pay “to avoid additional penalty and/or interest,” the Detroit Free Press reported Saturday.
Howarth says he then received a second letter telling him the government owes him money — four cents.
He was told he would have to request the refund since it’s less than $1.
“When I owe them a nickel, I must pay them. It’s not optional,” he said. “But when they owe me, I have to ask for it.”
Howarth says he’s not sure if there is a connection between the two notices, or if the refund represents a recalculation of the original bill.
The perplexed lawyer says he called an IRS 800 telephone number but gave up after spending a long time on hold.
IRS spokesman Luis D. Garcia says the agency doesn’t comment on individual accounts
