wrong social on payment coupon

[Gretel]

I swear this is the only return that I did not double check the social. Normally I check 4 times and of course, he just mailed $20,000 with a wrong social on it. Has anyone done this? Does anyone know how the IRS deals with this, will they try to match? Luckily, he wrote the checks in my office and I made him write the last four digits of his social on the checks.

[Burke]

Yes. Happened to me last year on the first estimated payment. I claimed the correct amount on the 2014 tax return, and am waiting to see what happens. I got a copy of the cancelled check from the bank and the IRS endorsement on the back has the incorrect SSN on it. I did contact the state, and they matched it correctly using name/SSN cross-check when it was received. They did not even notify anyone. There is a way to check estimated tax payments with the IRS, or there used to be when there were electronic services you could access. It should hit an error due to name mismatch.

[Gretel]

IRS call

Yep, the States are easy to work with, I have two States involved with this one, of course. I just got of the phone with the IRS. The gentleman told me that the IRS never sends back a check. If they cannot match with a taxpayer then it goes into a general account until someone complains. They of course means, one does not need to be concerned about penalties for not paying in time. Since these are mostly estimated tax payments it could take until later next year to find out if the payment were applied correctly. Good luck with yours, Burke.

By the way, I re-filed the return two hours ago and the agent was already able to see it.

[Burke]

Last time I had one of these was years ago. TP sent in an estimated payment check for each of his two children with the correct documents & SSN's, but he sent them in one envelope! The IRS applied both checks to one account. It took 18 months to get it straightened out.

[mooretax]

use direct debit from IRS and state

Client has a check with available amount in the bank.
Client can use IRS Direct Debit (without fee) to pay estimated tax.
It is easy to use and safer than mailing a check.

California has online payment. It is easy to use.

Please use them for other payments and print out confirmation immediately
for clients.

[Gretel]

All nice and dandy and I use it for myself. However, I live in Redneck country and very few people agree to this. Thanks, it surely is a good idea.

[kathyc2]

All nice and dandy and I use it for myself. However, I live in Redneck country and very few people agree to this. Thanks, it surely is a good idea.

LOL! You and me both. Vast majority of people I just print out the 1040V and don't even ask amount withdrawal from bank account since I don't care to hear their tirade of not giving IRS their bank info. If they only knew what IRS and NSA already know about them...

[mastertaxguy]

wrong ss# on payment voucher

They might consider stop payment(s) on the checks, and mailing a new voucher(s) with the correct social security number of the primary taxpayer.

[FEDUKE404]

Question of interest

How did you get the incorrect Soc Sec number on a payment coupon for a completed tax return? ? (I assume you are not filling out returns by hand?)

My tax software uses whatever number (carefully entered and verified several times whenever first entered -- darn bifocals!) for the tax return *AND* for any payment vouchers and/or next year estimated payment coupons. There is no way I could have a different number on a computer-generated payment coupon from what was already on the actual tax return(s).

Of course, I agree, client-authorized bank debits are far more logical to prevent such errors (checks in postal service et al) but I hardly ever mention here that solution any more. Name-calling can occur with some . . .

FWIW: North Carolina has finally joined the 20th century (yes, I meant 20th!) and now allows payment of balances due and payment of up to four estimated tax payments selected at the time of efiling. No more checks, no more notes on the refrigerator, etc. Most clients jump at the option. (Such pre-scheduled estimated payments are not advisable, of course, for those with income bouncing all over the place each year. They just get pre-printed estimated tax coupons with the payment amount left blank. And then they DO check their refrigerator door on a quarterly basis.)

Also, to help reduce processing errors for tax payments going astray, the IRS instructions for Form 1040-V and Form 1040-ES tell you to write the complete SSN (not just the last 4 digits) on the check. If you can't trust your bank. . . . From past experience, and reading the current comments of others, my 2¢ prediction is the payment gets credited to the SSN shown on the payment coupon, right or wrong. (They likely do not even look at the check except for dollar amount!) Whether something bounces if the SSN matches "Jones" but the name on the voucher is "Smith" can best be answered by the IRS.

FE

[Gretel]

How did you get the incorrect Soc Sec number on a payment coupon for a completed tax return? ? (I assume you are not filling out returns by hand?)
FE

I became aware of the problem when the e-filing was rejected. Taxpayer mailed all payment the day he signed.

[FEDUKE404]

In retrospect

I became aware of the problem when the e-filing was rejected. Taxpayer mailed all payment the day he signed.

Too bad client didn't authorize an April10th or so debit at the time of efiling, and then this (these) problems would have completely vanished.

(And I have numerous clients in the borderline-Redneck realm and they have no problem with direct deposits or IRS/NCDOR debits. Heck, some of them use electronic means to pay me for my services. . .)

FE