Long Time Non-Filer

[WhiteOleander]

At this point, I know there are no answers to this situation. I just want to see if anyone can give me some ideas based on their experience.

A 75 y.o man came in yesterday. He hasn't filed any returns since '97. So, I look through his papers. He definately meets filing requirements. He has a 1099R from OPM for more than 30,000 each year. I asked him if he had been getting any letters from the IRS. He said no. So, I felt the best thing to do was to call the IRS and see if anything has been going on the man doesn't know about.

After the IRS gets on the phone, they want to talk to him to ID him. They then tell him that there is no record of him at all. I get back on the phone and the agent is very short and rude. He does say that the Soc Sec number given doesn't exist. I told the agent that I was looking at a 1099R from OPM with that number on it. The agent says all the t/p can do is go to the IRS office in San Antonio.

So, I ended the call. I had the man sign a POA. I have faxed it in. When it is processed, I will call back myself. I have been wondering about the call. How can the SS number not exist? Do you think the agent was just inept? Or has anyone seen this issue before. It would be very difficult for this little old guy to go to the IRS office. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks

[luke]

weird

Did YOU check his other id (something with ss# on it)? Sounds like sender of 1099 may have used wrong SS#?
If you sent in POA with incorrect SS# it wont be processed....?

[Lion]

I agree with Luke that you need to see his SS card, any other documents that have his SSN (bank, brokerage), does he have his 1997 return?

Check with the SSA, probably with him conferenced in on the call to identify you & him.

[WhiteOleander]

Yes, I have seen other documents with this SS number.

[JohnH]

It's tempting to ask what his health condition is, but I guess I shouldn't go there.

[taxmandan]

He needs to go to Social Security and get a print out of his information with the number. Unfortunately that means he'll have to go to the SSA office and talk to them in person with identification. He may have been using the wrong number for years and years and no one has noticed until now. I saw that once long ago and that was the case, a transposed number in what was being used by the person. I don't know how the wrong number would get on his 1099SSA though, he would be getting Social Security too at his age, unless he was in the old Civil Service and didn't contribute.

[luke]

O p

please keep us posted on this one - 1st IRS agent may have made a mistake keying in the SS# you gave him (may not have understood your "accent" - I get that a lot with WV "twang")
IF IRS processes your POA then SS# should be OK and another call to IRS would be in order (call PPS not just any other IRS #)...

[Black Bart]

For openers I'd leave IRS out of it and just call the nearest local SSA office (forget that toll-free menu number) with him in your office to okay it and get the straight info on number/name. Then if it the number was right (proving the IRS agent inept [gasp-unbelievable]) I'd just start filing the old returns -- working backwards from 2012 one-at-a-time.

[AZ-Tax]

What about a SSA-1099?

Did the 75 year old bring you his SSA-1099 and if so does his SS# on the SSA-1099 match with the other official tax documents? With the 3 yr max to amend your tax return, does the IRS still allow the "standard deduction" for tax years beyond the 3 yrs?

[Roberts]

Did the 75 year old bring you his SSA-1099 and if so does his SS# on the SSA-1099 match with the other official tax documents?

This. If he's getting paid SS benefits on the correct SSN, I'd wonder if the IRS didn't put the wrong SSN into the system when you called.
If the SSA-1099 is correct, call the IRS back and start over once you have POA.