'Cracking the Code-...' Warriors Chris and Kimberley Strayve are resolutely standing up for the law, despite recently hearing from the IRS that one of their claims for refund of money withheld but not owed is being held up. The reason given for the holdup is, in its essence, precisely the same as that given in all of the various attempts the government has made to discourage CtC-educated Americans who have inconveniently learned-- and invoked-- the law over the last several years; but the Strayves enjoy the distinction of being the first of whom I am aware to have that reason plainly expressed.

Chris and Kimberly are not being subjected to an obnoxious response suggesting that their filing is being misunderstood, as is discussed in 'The Empire Whiffs Back- Strike One'; nor the blustery "frivolous" ploy discussed in 'The Empire Whiffs Back- Strike Two', by which the IRS hopes to intimidate a target into abandoning the law and returning to four-legged status. Instead, they're being told the real reason in stark black-and-white:

That's right. There is no reason. The notice you see above (which continues with more instructions as to how to protest the 'service's' decision, but all, like the portion included here, appropriate solely to the specialized sort of person actually subject to the "income" tax) is exactly what was sent to the Strayves. No reason is given because none can be-- there is no provision of law, contract, or whatever which could be cited to justify the government's failure to honor a properly made claim; indeed, the law commands the government to honor such a claim.

As in all of the (happily, few) cases in which the federal, and some state, governments have balked at doing what the law requires in response to a claim made by a CtC-educated American, the bottom line is not, "Your claim/filing/etc. is wrong, because, contrary to your assertions, all money earned by any American is subject to the income tax..." or words to that effect. The bottom line is, rather, unequivocal acquiescence by silence (or deliberate mischaracterization, which, in that it is a studied effort to NOT address the actual substance of the claim/filing/etc., amounts to precisely the same thing), underscored by the also unspoken-- but impossible to miss-- message that, "We've already got your money. If you want it back, sue us."

LITIGATORS WANTED!!!

Several CtC warriors are gearing up to launch lawsuits against both the federal, and various state, governments over the refusal of a tax agency to acknowledge the receipt of properly (and provably) filed returns in order to avoid issuing claimed refunds. In a few other cases, such as that of Jim Spitzer, suits will involve filers being subjected to variations on this theme. This incredibly juvenile governmental behavior involves the commission of several different civil and criminal offenses. If you are an experienced litigator able to provide paid professional services in this regard, please contact me. I am not personally seeking assistance, so contacting me will not violate the solicitation rules. I simply wish to post contact information, for the benefit of those needing assistance. I am also interested in posting contact information for CtC-educated CPAs, for whom demand is high.