HR messed up my taxes, am I screwed?

[Dumbass17]

Hey all,

So when I got H&R block to do my taxes back in March 2010, they gave me my tax return cheque on the spot. A few weeks later I received a phone call stating that they overpaid me by about $350 dollars. They informed me that I would have to pay this shortly and a letter would be coming in the mail and it was just a courtesy call. I have no idea whether or not the letter came. Anyways, I told the person on the phone that I didn't feel responsible for their screw up and that I was leaving the country within 2 weeks so probably wouldn't pay it.
With that being said, I didn't pay it and I left the country. I pretty much forgot about this and haven't done anything with it since.

My question is, do you think H&R has put interest on this amount? Would this effect my credit rating? i really don't know what to do now...shit

[eblend]

Wouldn't be the first time you lived up to your username haha, I don't know why but I am sure there were a few other instances :D All in good fun.

Sorry I don't have an answer for you, but I am sure they would have been a little more persistent if they really wanted the money back, like repeated letters/calls ect. I don't know if this is possible or not, but perhaps they also just filled some forms out and submitted them to the government, thus making your next tax return $350 less? I really don't know. If I were you I would just go with the ignorance approach. You can always request a free credit report from Equifax as well (by mail) and see if anything shows up on there. Also, unless your taxes are fairly complex, just do them yourself and save your money. Quicktax is what I use, and its so simple...my dad does his own taxes...a machinist by trade 8 years away from retirement + doesn't know how to use the computer.

[eblend]

Did a quick look online, and apparently you received "refund anticipation loan", with about 26% interest rate....

You have two choices,

1) pretend it never happened and hope they never ding you on your credit score

2) Go in and tell them you will pay the $350 but not the interest, see if you can get somewhere.


Also, was it their mistake that caused this, because they have a guarantee against their own mistakes. If it was the government's mistake and they plugged in all the right numbers than you are SOL

[revelations]

Lesson learnt, HR blockheads make more mistakes than not ..... i hear this from accountants and cgas all the time.

[[GaGe]]

Originally posted by eblend

Also, was it their mistake that caused this, because they have a guarantee against their own mistakes. If it was the government's mistake and they plugged in all the right numbers than you are SOL

Their guarantee is only for the interest/penalty fees charged against you. The OP would still owe the $350 that was overpaid.

Out of curiousity, which H&R block location did you go to? Crowfoot's been great both times I've been there, but Market Mall was terrible. Their accountant made a mistake both times I was there, and it took them over 2 hours to file my taxes lol.

[blitz]

@ 26% you're probably at $700 owed or so right now :rofl:

[msommers]

Originally posted by revelations
Lesson learnt, HR blockheads make more mistakes than not ..... i hear this from accountants and cgas all the time.

Not completely true. A family friend of ours is retired and she works there for something to do and a little extra cash - used to work for Imperial Oil. She definitely isn't doing it for the money though, I seem to remember her saying she gets paid like $13/hr.

[Dumbass17]

ugh stressful
i contacted H&R and they replied asking for all sorts of information i have no way of acquring, like which office i went to and my receipt number etc...

[kaput]

.

[Dumbass17]

Originally posted by kaput
You don't even know which office you went to? Were you drunk? :confused:
nah, i never seem to go to the same office and it was 2009 so i can't recall.
but yeah, haven't used a tax office since, just doing it myself

[Kramerica]

2010? isn't there a statute of limitations on collecting for your own fuck ups? two years is a long time to not notice $350 and then collect over something so small, I'd tell them to suck it.

[Dumbass17]

yeah, they aren't trying to collect. i am trying to cover my own ass so it doesn't accrue massive taxes or damage my credit history.
they really don't have a way of contacting me...

[Tik-Tok]

Umm, just check your credit score/info?

[suntan]

Originally posted by Kramerica
2010? isn't there a statute of limitations on collecting for your own fuck ups? two years is a long time to not notice $350 and then collect over something so small, I'd tell them to suck it. CRA has seven years to object. Also if they find something they can go indefinitely.

[FraserB]

Originally posted by suntan
CRA has seven years to object. Also if they find something they can go indefinitely.

The CRA has nothing to do with this. H&R Block gave him some money on the assumption that his return would be $XXX, now they want the difference since it was lower.

[suntan]

Ah, I thought that was taxes owned. I see it's just stoopid H&R. :rofl:

[Kramerica]

Yeah I know CRA can go after you for a long time, but honestly H&R block are just being dumbasses and completely unrealistic. They made a mistake two years ago that they now expect you to pay for; If the situation was reverse and you were going to them saying you fucked up two years ago and as a result they owe you $350, they'd tell you to fuck off.