Requests Ignored

Dear Editor:

My teenage daughter used to work and pay taxes since the age of 8. She reported her income tax every year and used to get a tax refund. Confusion happened in 2022. It became a big conflict with IRS. Their one department said everything is fine and their different department demanded to pay the tax refund amount back, along with penalties and interest. All my letters and phone calls to IRS were ignored without any explanations.

I applied to the Tax Advocate Service; they opened the case in the middle of April 2024. Since then, I have not heard anything. Last week, I called their hotline just to realize the case was closed. No reason for closure was given and nothing in writing was sent. I paid the demanded amount to IRS to avoid any damage to my child’s financial situation in the future.

I reached out to the office of our House Representative Gregory Meeks. I made several calls to their Jamaica office begging for assistance. Every time, the answer was totally the same: we are going to get in touch with you later today, later this week, this coming Monday, and so on, and so on. No attempt for assistance was given. I reached out through the Gregory Meeks’ Congressional website. I requested a response. It was ignored.

Now, I explained to my teenage daughter: do not trust our government at any level since they don’t care about you. At the same time, I don’t know: when somebody is paid to represent my Congressional district – am I represented on a federal level? Or are people being paid by my taxes (and my teenage daughter’s taxes) just to represent their political sponsors and their own family?

It is sad to realize that our political system works just for its self-satisfaction while ignoring voters. Of course, I’m going to consider it in November. But – what’s the point of having different branches of government if nobody cares about you?

Alex Litvak