New York floods mailboxes with 700,000 vintage tax-delinquency letters: You may be a debtor!

syracuse.com ^ | 3/14/2010 | Michelle Breidenbach

[RC one]

The state told Michael Rothman, 59, of Manlius, that he owed $3,491 with penalties and interest on unpaid taxes from 1988. He said he does not intend to pay That's the right idea Mike because if the fine people of NY take this BS, every state will be following suit.

[thethirddegree]

Thanks for setting me straight. I need to read a little more carefully before I sound off!

[Marie2]

I thought you only had to keep old tax records for ten years??

[antiRepublicrat]

Hoping most people didn’t keep their paperwork around long enough to defend themselves.

[jackibutterfly]

Terrific comparison - this is really unbelievable, huh? I wouldn’t be surprised if 3/4 of these letters were just made up. Pulverize the IRS!!!

[OrangeHoof]

I wonder how many delinquency notices Tax Cheat Charlie Rangel received?

If they could just get their elected representatives to cough up their “fair share” instead of grandstanding about everyone else’s, perhaps the state deficit could be reduced, no?

[packrat35]

Thats exactly what they are doing.

[Palladin]

Shakedown artists.

I don’t know why anyone live in that state.

[CIB-173RDABN]

What we are seeing is the end of the socialist dream of creating a Utopia. We may even be seeing the end of our nation (but I personally believe we are strong enough to survive this mess).

You can not continue to take from those that produce to give to those that do not and in this I am going to include government employees since they are (sometimes necessary but still) a drain on the economy.

Social engineering does not work. Welfare does not work. Taxing to prosperity does not work. Regulating 100% safety does not work.

The government has a function, but that function should be limited to a few things that individuals can not do on their own.

The bottom line is we have more government than we can afford and it is killing us.

I suspect they will get less money from this mailing then it cost to research and mail the letters.

Americans for the most part are honest taxing paying citizens (excepts are policticians and friends of policticians). We pay our taxes because (A) it is the right thing to do, and (B) the IRS scares the hell out of us.

Action like this makes tax collectors appear impotent.

[kcvl]

Did they also open the ‘lock box’ where they are suppose to keep UNCLAIMED money? Are they also looking to return that money to those folks?

[The Duke]

BLOOD-FROM-A-TURNIP PING!!!

[tbw2]

Doesn’t statute of limitations apply on debts over 10 years old?

[Hojczyk]

Sounds like a stupid plan... If the guy owes 1 million and you settle for 400,000 the tax payers take a loss..

[Grut]

They do not offer an avenue for appeal, even though the burden is on the taxpayer to prove the state wrong.

I think it would be a really good idea for someone to ask the court to designate the Governor's Office as the appropriate venue for appeal.

[jiggyboy]

Did they also open the ‘lock box’ where they are suppose to keep UNCLAIMED money? Are they also looking to return that money to those folks?

That often requires onerous and expensive methods such as calling a phone number associated with the individual's paperwork. Also, the risk-to-reward is unfavorable to the state, as many times the person is still at that same phone number and address.

[kcvl]

the risk-to-reward is unfavorable to the state, as many times the person is still at that same phone number and address

Exactly!