IRS Debts... please help!

[IRSvictim]

Firstly let me give thanks to people who create this site, it really helps!

Okay i'm trying to make a long story short, if anybody out there can help me I really appreciate.

I use to live in Minneapolis MN and moved to Hawaii on April 2004 to get married. My own sister who still live in MN, use my SSN to find a job, because she has a check forgery felony on her record, she did find a job and she file tax exempt, so she never paid any tax for the State of MN. all this time I never knew that shes being using my SSN until 2007 me and my husband moved here in Washington and all this letters from IRS saying that I owe them $25000+ and letters from the State of MN that I owe them money too.

And thats how I find out that shes using my SSN and my name. We asked the guy that file our tax for his advice, and he told us that we have two options, either we can turn her in, or pay for the debt. At the time my parents was here with us, my mom was really sick at the time. so when I tell them whats going to happen to my sister, if we file Identity Theft, and my parents almost had a heart attack, and keep asking me for forgiveness but shes going to pay for all the debts she did under my name.

So we went back to the guy that file our tax and tell him, that we had a talk with my family and we're going to file the tax and pay for the debt, because she herself tell us that shes going to send us money to pay for all this debts... thats in 2007... up until now she only send us $1000, and we're being paying for the IRS and the MN State this whole time. she worked using my name from 2004 to 2007.

And thats why i'm here seekin' for any help I can get. My question is, Can I overturn this matter back and have her pay for what she did? I'm worried the IRS and MN State tax might say that I already file the tax, why I didn't report at the very first time.

PLEASE I REALLY NEED YOUR HELP!

Appreciate your Help.

Thank you and Lord Bless!

[2ndTimeAround]

Originally Posted by IRSvictim

....we have two options, either we can turn her in, or pay for the debt....

....my parents almost had a heart attack, and keep asking me for forgiveness but shes going to pay for all the debts she did under my name.

...we're going to file the tax and pay for the debt, because she herself tell us that shes going to send us money to pay for all this debts... thats in 2007... up until now she only send us $1000....

Wow what a mess - I can understand what your going through.

Let me give you another option - contact a Tax Advocate at the Washington State Department of Revenue Taxpayer Services Division in Olympia, WA 98504 1-800-647-7706 (360) 705-6714. Back when I used them, this was a free service.

They can help you understand the options and procedures available to resolve your issue. They also can serve as a mediator between you, the taxpayer, and the IRS.

Here's a page on the IRS website with another contact and more information - http://www.irs.gov/advocate/article/...147480,00.html

I had an issue with IRS back in the 90's used a Tax Advocate. They gave me information to fight a $20000 Tax Bill, which I got dismissed. I also had a borrower in GA, that owed back Taxes, got them reduced through a Tax Advocate that I recommended.

Since you are agreeing to let your sister reimburse you, you are going to want to do this in your state where you live.

I think you need to have a family meeting to write out an agreement between you and your sister. What she did was wrong, and she should of told you. You need to let her know how lucky she is. If she was anyone else other than your sister, you would of turned her in to her parole officer and she could be back in jail....

Good Luck....

[ditaloca]

ID theft is no joke.

I can't believe your sister thought this was acceptable? Obviously she has issues when it comes to following the law, and everyone deserves a second chance, but its never ok to steal. Felony forgery is no joke and apparently instead of learning from her mistakes she went ahead and forged application papers, tax forms etc...

Honestly, this seems to be a behavioral pattern with your sister, if I were you I would pull credit reports on your parents, your children and anyone she's lived with or has had open access to their homes.

Its sweet of you to not file theft against your sister and I understand the tricky circumstances and I also believe in the loyality to family but this type of behavior can often be a symptom of other illnesses especially addiction.
You owe it to your own peace of mind to 1. Make sure noone else has become an unwitting victim to your sister 2. Have a meaningful discussion with your sister and all involved family members 3. Based on the talk you have decide what course of action the family can make to help your sister, sometimes protecting someone is the worse thing you can do for a loved one. If you do decide to continue to "protect" her then you need to get a legally binding contract that clearly states what is expected of your sister and what will happen if she does not follow the terms.

I don't know if its just me but I find the fact that she was charged with felonly forgery, then went out stole your ssn, then went filled out who knows how many applications and forged your Identity (which by the way can affect you in a myriad of other ways, like her poor performance, her possible work record, did she get fired or quit without notice? Cause if she did that's under your name, and you could possibly be seen as
lying or falsifying employment history and lose job ops or promos...
In addition since she lied to the government she's affected your social sec., medicaid etc...
And to top it off she elected to not withhold ANY INCOME TAX? Why in the world would your sister do that? She knew those taxes would have to be paid, she knew she had lied and used your ss#, seems to me she knew exactly what she was doing, she was screwing you and the government out of a lot of money and she had no concern about your well being.
I don't think I would be half as forgiving as you.

Not only would I report her to the authorties I would also take her to civil court and try my best to make sure that for every dime she made she would be paying me a nickle for the next 30 years if need be. She wouldn't be welcome in my home unattended or without notice. I would also inform any and all relatives and people she may have done similar things to about her apparent disregard for others and the law.

This is really a lowdown dirty thing to do, and I could almost forgive her up until the whole not deducting anything out for income tax...that's not easily done, when you pick that option people warn you...so for her to do that on top of stealing your ss# it makes me furious for you.

ADVICE .... MAKE SURE YOU AND ANYONE WHO YOUR SISTERS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH CHECKS THEIR CR'S AND SS#...EVEN CHILDREN, YOUR PARENTS, YOU, EVERYONE!


There's a huge chance that she continues with this behavior and she has no qualms about victimizing family so I bet your gonna find she's been up to more than you thought.

[ditaloca]

ITRC Letter Form 115-3 Letter Forms for When You Know the Imposter There are three ITRC Letter Forms for “When You Know the Imposter.” These ITRC Letter Forms are suggestions only and should not take the place of forms or letters provided by your attorney, law enforcement, or creditors.* Letters should be mailed certified, return receipt requested Please do not send the completed form to the ITRC, as we have no legal authority to clear your record for you.

http://www.idtheftcenter.org/artman2...rm_115-3.shtml



Protect Yourself !!

Almost everyone knows they need to check their credit reports on a regular basis Unfortunately, we need to add another report to our “must check regularly” list. I highly suggest that each and every year, you look at a copy of your Social Security Statement. This statement will alert you if there is any suspicious employment or earnings connected to your social security number You should get a Social Security Statement automatically each year. If you don’t you should request one. To find out more about what a Social Security Statement is and how to get your copy, visit the Social Security Statement information website.


look at this situation from various points of view

The law: ** If you do not report this case, there will be no police report, and nvestigation. ** If you want the protection of the law as a victim of identity theft (and all the benefits you gain as a recognized identity theft victim), you knew about the fraud for a while and did nothing to stop it, or if you participated in the fraud yourself. * * If you refuse to make a report, you may appear suspect when you try to clear the fraud activity (civil or criminal).
They don't take victims seriously without a police report.

The imposter: The imposter may have an emotional problem or addiction that forces them to seek more money than they can afford. alcoholism, compulsive spending, domestic abuse or the need for attention The imposter might be in severe financial straits and decide this is the best way to balance things out.

The victim: ** When you personally know the individual who has used your nformation, the emotional impact of identity theft dramatically increases -- the sense of violation and betrayal, embarrassment for yourself and the mposter, the abuse of trust, even your feeling of how you evaluate others.


Choices.


What if I file a police report? ** Won’t everyone hate me? **
The person you; the credit card companies just write off the loss,” cannot be allowed as an excuse. ** The cost of loss is passed on to all of us in higher prices and taxes. ** If you have approached that person and told them you have a problem they caused AND they don’t respond with an offer to make it completely right immediately, they’ve told you their answer. ** They don’t care about you and how this affects your life. ** Why would you continue to protect someone who is putting you at risk?

By contacting the authorities and cooperating fully, you have not caused this person to be arrested. ** They caused this by their own actions. ** In your heart, you must understand you did the right thing, sometimes the most difficult action you will ever take. ** Be careful if you think this person may become violent. ** Do not confront him/her. ** Let the police handle the situation and make sure you take the necessary steps to protect yourself.


What if the imposter admits guilt?* Can I make a deal with the creditors?

Both parties should contact the credit issuing company(ies) and discuss the situation.** See if the credit issuers will allow the imposter to fully pay the bill.** Many will not.** It is important for you to understand - THIS IS NOT AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND THE IMPOSTER.** IT IS AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE IMPOSTER AND THE CREDIT ISSUERS .** Send Letter Form*115-2 (the imposter will need to sign this transferring (the imposter will need to sign this transferring responsibility from the victim to himself/herself) with the affidavit of fraud that the creditor sends you.** (this has to be done by the imposter of their own free will! You cannot harass threaten or force imposter to do this!)



The creditors are NOT required by law to accept this document of responsibility. Most will not without a police report. Many companies will keep your information on the account in case the impostor does not pay the bill so that they still have somebody they can pursue for the remaining money owed.

We recommend that the imposter provide a check for at least 15-25% of the debt to mail with the documents or whatever the credit issuer demands as a first payment.** The check should be made payable to the credit issuer, not you.** Photocopy everything before sending it.** Creditors may ask for all of the money or they won’t agree.** Be prepared for that answer.


My family wants me to forgive the imposter and they will help you pay off the bills slowly together. ** What are the consequences of this?

If the imposter and credit issuer will cooperate, have the account moved to the imposter’s SSN. ** Have the family work out an agreement in writing signed by all parties, to put the debt in the mposter’s name to pay it off


UNDERSTAND - if you pay the debt in your name, any negative information on your credit report will remain on your report for seven (7) years. ** You have assumed responsibility
for the debt, and any negative credit worthiness consequences.

Do I need legal assistance? **
*
If your impostor has committed crimes in your name, you should definitely contact a criminal defense attorney and have him/her help you to clear your name from the FBI and state crimina records databases. ** See the ITRC Fact Sheet 110* Criminal Identity Theft . records databases. ** See the ITRC . If your family member committed financial fraud, and the creditors wil not remove the fraud after you have written letters, you may need to hire a consumer law attorney. ** For referrals, contact the National Association of Consumer Advocates, your local or state bar association or other resources in The Identity Theft Survival Kit available at http:// resources in The Identity Theft Survival Kit available at www.identitytheft.org/. **



This info is all from IDT website...

[IRSvictim]

I'm here to say Thank you guys for the help, all you saying is true. I'm Samoan and I know little bit about the American Law and all this. I am not going to let this happen again, I'm going to put a stop on it. I guess she never learn if shes not punished for what she did wrong.
once again, Thank you very much for all the help.
May God Bless you both.

[MitchyB]

Good luck, That is a tough situation.

I don't think your parents should expect you to pay for your sisters bad deeds though. ID theft if usually not punished very severely, but the damage it causes usually is pretty troubling for the victim.

[kat1979]

Originally Posted by MitchyB

Good luck, That is a tough situation.

I don't think your parents should expect you to pay for your sisters bad deeds though. ID theft if usually not punished very severely, but the damage it causes usually is pretty troubling for the victim.

A Little off topic but, I feel for you. My cousin got into a similar situation with one of our relatives that opened credit cards in his name, this was 5 years ago and he is still dealing with it daily.

Keep your head up and move forward.
Good luck