No help from Senators Corey or Menendez or Congressman Payne's Office

I am about to explode from frustration.  The IRS has my wrong address somehow.  Once I was on the phone with them trying to get them to read my transcript so I could file taxes, they asked my address, and she said "wow, what we've got is nothing like that; I'll change it".  Maybe that wasn't corrected everyplace, but I have gotten their registered mail at the right address. When I try to do anything on their website, it tells me that the address is invalid.  They also have incorrect phone number, though I have given it multiple times when we speak over the phone, and now they are not answering their phones to address the issue.  They have the wrong checking account info. too.

I have been trying for nine weeks to get help from Senator Menendez' constituent services representative as well a Congressman Payne's representative, and all I get are pacifiers, platitudes and website clippings that solve nothing which I have already read.  They no longer take my calls or respond to my emails.  

I can't open an IRS account where I might be able to answer my own questions and correct the mistakes, because I can't pass their security question with is the street address.  I can't change the bank info in GetMyPayment, because the incorrect info is the security assurance that they demand.  I have checked the IRS website for help, and I nowhere did I find anyplace that can.

I am completely cut off.  Any ideas?  I need to make sure that they have the correct info; that's it.  Nine weeks of frustration.  It makes me feel so impotent, so insignificant, so helpless.  Constituent Services are supposed to intervene when these things happen, but I have received no help from them.

20-30 years ago, you could write your rep, they would forwarded to the offending party, and the problem would be fixed.

Now, they spend all their taxpayer paid time giving people the run around on what should be a simple fix.

At least they are responding to you, often they don't even do that.

There are 2 explanations.  

One they are so mentally incompetent they need to be placed under guardianship in a secure facility being reminded to breathe.

Or they are refusing to do their job and denying you assistance.  Which meets the NJ definition of criminal official misconduct.

Try to get a TV consumer reporter to fight them.

Why would they have any address other than what you put on your tax return?

Do you have an accountant do your taxes? 

There used to be a local IRS office in Springfield, where a taxpayer could go for personal service. I do not know if it is still there.

There is an office in Mountainside.

https://www.irs.gov/vi/help/contact-my-local-office-in-new-jersey

Stanv - Copihue lives in Chile.

Yes, when I moved to Chile the problems began.  The address that woman from the IRS that I was talking to over the phone about 1.5 yrs ago read to me had:  parts of words cut off as well as other errors that I don't clearly remember.  I  think part of the problem is that the info is entered into computer systems, and the systems are not designed for foreign addresses.  They are a bit better now, but it is not an infrequent issue.  When I moved to the Netherlands, a credit card company had the correct address which was in Brakel, the Netherlands and then he/she wrote Old Bridge for the town and New Jersey for the state.  That person didn't realize that the Netherlands was another country.

This address issue is the tip of the iceberg as far as problems with the IRS are concerned.  They insist on sending all info as regular mail.  I have told them that it never reaches me.  I have sent pictures of returned mail which I got when I went back to Jersey.  I have written to Social Security, the Ambassador in Chile, the Ways and Means Chair, my senators, my congressman to let them know that it is not just me, it's the whole country, no Chilean uses the Chilean post office, everything is done by courier or the internet.  No, they are not going to change; they don't care if I never get my refund or my economic stimulus payment. 

Try Senator Booker's office.  The difference between the people there and the ones at Menendez's office is like night and day.  Much, much better.

GoSlugs, you are the second person that makes that remark.  I will give it a try.

Copihue said:

GoSlugs, you are the second person that makes that remark.  I will give it a try.

 I think there is a marked difference between the staffers who attach themselves to a rising star like Booker and those who seek employment with an individual like Menendez.  I wish you luck.

To people living overseas qualify for the stimulus?

GoSlugs said:

To people living overseas qualify for the stimulus?

 It's a valid question, and the first thing that I asked first at the Congressman's office when the stimulus was approved by the Congress and then to the Senator's constituent's representative when the Congressman's rep no longer responded to me.  Perhaps that is why they are behaving as they are, that is, with avoidance.   Yesterday I received an email from both individuals after I posted this thread, and the Congressman's Office gave me a phone number.  I don't know why she didn't give it to me months ago instead of stringing me along.  I will also try to resolve my address issue so that I can finally open the IRS account.  Does anyone have one? if so, does it include messages?  if it does, it may resolve the issues I have with communication issues. The IRS also denied giving me my refund, because my tax forms were late.  I wrote and appeal letter explaining the reason why it was so, but I have never received a response.

Can it be sent to you, care of someone in Mpl/So and have them forward it to you?

How would forwarding help if the mail system does not work?  Copihue needs some form of direct deposit.

Actually I resolved the bank issue.  I opened an internet bank account in the US.  

I understand that these are very unusual circumstances, but the communication problems with expats in Chile is not a new problem.  I have written to everyone that I think might be able to address the issue including the Trump appointment to the Chilean Ambassadorship, documented it at nauseam, and nothing has changed.  I only received a response after months had passed from low level employee who basically said "that's the way it is".  The US Embassy in Chile barks orders behind heavily fortified walls.  The Ambassador is a personal friend of POTUS, what's new?

galileo said:

Stanv - Copihue lives in Chile.

 I did not know that. 

I recently read "The Long Petal of the Sea" most of which takes place in Chile. 

I am so glad the banking issue has  been resolved.

Payne and Menendez are useless.

Would it be possible to have someone in located in N.J. work on this for you?

https://www.americansabroad.org/taxation/

This group specifically advertises that it helps with banking problems but it looks like it also helps with tax problems.

Also you might want to try Congressman Malinowski from an adjacent district who is a former State Department Official.

NJ Congressman Bill Pascrell whose District is North of us but whose District included a part of Maplewood when he was first elected sits on the Ways and Means Committee which has jurisdiction over the IRS

Also note that the IRS is massively understaffed, in part thanks to decisions made  by the current administration, and in part due to COVID issues.  Best of luck sorting things out.

STANV said:

galileo said:

Stanv - Copihue lives in Chile.

 I did not know that. 

I recently read "The Long Petal of the Sea" most of which takes place in Chile. 

Did you like it?  I wasn't aware of this book; I have read a lot of her works, and some of the later ones were pretty banal.  I am going to get this one.  

The phone number I was given by the Congressman's rep at the IRS is a tape that repeats the same info that I have read on the web multiple times.  Senator Menendez' staff said that the IRS is looking into my case, I'm sure that they are going to give me a real snappy answer,yeah!  While reading the unemployment thread on this website, and I realized that I have to do more searching on my own.  I went to the Tax Advocate's webpage, and I did find a form that seemed to fit the bill.  I hope it does the trick.  

joan_crystal said:

How would forwarding help if the mail system does not work?  Copihue needs some form of direct deposit.

 Read the third sentence of the opening post. Mail does get through.

.

Formerlyjerseyjack:

Copihue said:

This address issue is the tip of the iceberg as far as problems with the IRS are concerned.  They insist on sending all info as regular mail.  I have told them that it never reaches me.  I have sent pictures of returned mail which I got when I went back to Jersey.  I have written to Social Security, the Ambassador in Chile, the Ways and Means Chair, my senators, my congressman to let them know that it is not just me, it's the whole country, no Chilean uses the Chilean post office, everything is done by courier or the internet.  No, they are not going to change; they don't care if I never get my refund or my economic stimulus payment. 

   

 If no Chilean uses the Chilean post office, it stands to reason that the mail system in Chile is not working properly.

Years ago when the post office was a government agency with centuries of experience is was flawless.  Then in the Pinochet years or thereafter, i don't know exactly when, it was privatized.  It destroyed the service.  Someone should study the service as part of a thesis to determine what cost cutting measures should never be done.  They are trying to modernize, and what they have done is very good, but there are problems somewhere that make it completely unreliable if mail has to be delivered throughout the country.  The wealthy neighborhoods of Santiago have flawless service.  The purchases that i make abroad I have shipped there, and my friend brings it to me.  Shipments from AliExpress also work great, because there are agents monitoring the mail.  When Correos de Chile does the monitoring, it fails spectacularly.  In the countryside I get Chilean mail, but not mail coming from the US and it looks like business mail.  I can go on and on about this topic for I have six years of tales to tell, but you are probably not interested.

Copihue said:

 I can go on and on about this topic for I have six years of tales to tell, but you are probably not interested.

 Sure we are or should be because of current efforts to get rid of the USPS.

Thanks for letting me know about the mail problems, StanV.  With the issues on this side, and possibly more issues on your side, plus the confussing absentee ballot procedures, I wonder how many expatriates' votes will be counted.  Since I am in Chile I missed one election because I sent in the form, but I guess there were other steps that somehow I missed, and in two other elections I have had to send an open ballot to vote at all.  I have never had a clean voting experience since I came to Chile.

PS I also took your suggestion and wrote Bill Pascrell a letter; we'll see what happens.  I wrote Cory Booker, and I am yet to hear from him.  This experience with his staff I have had before:  no response whatsoever.

Hi,

If you have the same political views as most who post on MOL you can probably contact Democrats Abroad who should be more than happy to help you vote.

https://www.democratsabroad.org/ready_to_vote_from_abroad