SSN PROBLEM ON E-FILED RETURN

[AnnieR]

I e-filed a return for a client & his wife. He is a soldier in Iraq, she is in TX. Return was rejected because "FILERS SSN has already been used as a filer's SSN on another return." Just his SSN, not his wife's. Where do I go from here?

AnnieR

[David1980]

Well first it would make sense to check if the taxpayer ended up filing a return or not. They often have someone available to preparer military returns when they're over there so it's possible he filed a return single or something without knowing he shouldn't.

Assuming he didn't, I'd try resending the return. After all there have been issues with certain IRS service centers in the past, so it's possible. Like last year when they had those bogus 515's.

If that fails next step would be to paper file. That might go through fine and you never hear another peep, or maybe you'll get an IRS letter. If you get an IRS letter just do whatever based on the letter.

[Lion EA]

I'd also contact the IRS's new Identity Theft unit and SS to ask about activity on his account. Get all three credit reports to see if someone has been opening up accounts, taking out loans, etc.

[AnnieR]

Got it solved. According to his mother (who has the POA), wife downloaded his w-2 from the Army website, took it to HRB, filed as MFS because she didn't have any income. When it came time to prepare the OH return, she didn't do it because HRB wanted to charge her an extra $100 for the state return.

Thanks for the help, I will keep it in mind because your sources are great!

AnnieR

[GeneInAlabama]

Sounds like HRB goofed BIG TIME. Why didn't they advise her to file MFJ? Why didn't they file the OH return along with the federal? I would be talking to the manager of that HRB office.

[kcjenkins]

If they filed him MFS just because 'she did not have any income', they were totally in the wrong, and she should demand that they file the 1040X at no charge, and refund her payment, as well. She should be raising hell with them over this goofup.

[Tax Prep by Deb]

If they filed him MFS just because 'she did not have any income', they were totally in the wrong, and she should demand that they file the 1040X at no charge, and refund her payment, as well. She should be raising hell with them over this goofup.

That's the biggest problem. Nobody wants to fight HRB. I have gotten several of their unhappy clients. They come to me because HRB has them owing, yet it's pretty obvious just discussing their situation that HRB is wrong. I sent client back to retrieve her documents, HRB thru a fit and intimidated my client in paying them $75.00 just to get her w-2 and a 1099 back.

I had a couple of other clients come to me and after discussing their situation I also sent them back to retrieve their documents. Fortunately these two individuals were not intimidated and went and demanded that their doc's be returned. I've done all of their taxes now for several years.

Most people are intimidated by them. Especially our local office. The woman who runs it seems to think that the moment someone walks into her door she owns them. It's a real joke when their ad states that with HRB you've got people. In my experience when you have HRB you could end up with a headache.

Deb!

[Don in Upstate NY]

Not to defend HRB, but this sounds like a mess. Wife couldn't file MFJ with husband at HRB 'cuz hubby was not there to sign. And wife doesn't have POA, mama does. One might question how wife filed MFS for husband in any case without his signature or POA.

[LindaB]

The client might want to think twice about having HRB amend the return. If they screwed it up the first time, they could certainly screw up the amended return. And it sounds like there still needs to be an OH return done. Is the wife in TX, and the mother, with the POA, in OH? No, don't let HRB try to fix this.