The Tax Flounder

[Nashville]

More and more states are cutting back on their phone staff (except for collections), answering relevant correspondence, ignoring taxpayer inquiries, etc.

Here is our chance to sound off about them. Let's create an infamous award for a combination of aggression, lack of responsiveness, inefficiency, etc. and call it the TaxFlounder.

Only one rule: Cannot be your home state (as bad as it may be). This assures a more broad based and more objective opinion. Preferably the TaxFlounder Award should come from those of us who have some experience with multi-state tax filing.

My TaxFlounder award can be split between two states - Virginia and Pennsylvania. I really don't know which is worse. Cannot get anyone to help you there. After failing in Pennsylvania to reach anyone, I decided to call the collection division. Surely someone there would be answering the phones.

Sure enough, I did get to talk with someone anxious to collect on delinquent accounts. When she found out I just needed help, she said "Everyone calls me because they can't get anyone else to answer the phone, and my boss told me I can't help you or put you through to anyone else in the department."

[Lion]

Ny

I nominate NY, for more reasons that I can list.

[DaveO]

Iowa has to be among the worst. I had a new client come in, a multi-year non-filer. The state of Iowa had levied $8000 out of his account over what turned out to be a $500 tax bill. Even lacking the returns there was no reasonable way he could have had a state liability anywhere near $8000.

[Golden Rocket]

Not a Tax Rate

First bad thing I've heard about Iowa, but I guess any state can be bad if they cut their telephone support and hire incompetent people.

By the way, this should not be intended as a commentary about horrible tax rates in the various states, but rather an evaluation as to how well or poorly a state does in meeting its good faith attempts by taxpayers and preparers to deal with problems.

For example, I'm told Minnesota has very stiff rates for a midwestern state plus they are very aggressive. However, I'm also told that they have a decent, reasonably educated and helpful staff to unravel the mess once things get screwed up. Maybe I'm giving them too much credit, but if this be true, MN would not be on this blacklist.

[Koss]

Worst State?

What about Florida?

There can't possibly be anything worse.

They don't have an income tax office open to the public.

They don't publish a phone number.

They don't even have a staff!

[LMAO]

BMK

[Lion]

My kids live in PA, so I have to agree that PA deserves a nomination -- along with NY !! I have to fax in their NYNR returns to PA before PA will process their refunds on their e-filed PA returns; and their fax line is always busy. They have bizarre property and occupational taxes that are paid locally. For my kids, that means pay at Mrs. Wank's house on Tuesdays and Thursdays during two weeks in the afternoons but not at 3 p.m. when the school bus arrives! Very strange.

And, IL. I have some farmland that had been my grandfather's since the 1800s. IL has a tax rate of 3%, so seems like it should be nothing on my tiny income from corn and soy beans. But, IL's 3% is on the very first dollar you earn, so is actually a higher effective rate than CT's recent rate increases to 6% and more.

[spanel]

My kids live in PA, so I have to agree that PA deserves a nomination -- along with NY !! I have to fax in their NYNR returns to PA before PA will process their refunds on their e-filed PA returns; and their fax line is always busy. They have bizarre property and occupational taxes that are paid locally. For my kids, that means pay at Mrs. Wank's house on Tuesdays and Thursdays during two weeks in the afternoons but not at 3 p.m. when the school bus arrives! Very strange.

And, IL. I have some farmland that had been my grandfather's since the 1800s. IL has a tax rate of 3%, so seems like it should be nothing on my tiny income from corn and soy beans. But, IL's 3% is on the very first dollar you earn, so is actually a higher effective rate than CT's recent rate increases to 6% and more.

Better double check your return...IL changed to 5% for 2011

Chris

[Lion]

Good point. I'm on extension. Prepare my own return after all my paying clients. Glad I always send in a generous amount with my IL extension. My IL property bills just arrived, and they're higher also.