To the Editor:

And after three weeks of sparring with the Internal Revenue Service, we have been told our $1,200 checks are being mailed. It really was a fascinating challenge negotiating their application information maze.   

If you have not applied, be aware and be prepared. It may not come as easily as you wish — the application is three pages and in three stages.

The first page appeared simple enough: Social Security, date of birth, and street address. We entered our information. Wrong! Not accepted. We tried a couple more times unsuccessfully. Then we tried my info. Same result. We were told to: “Try again in 24 hours.”

So now it’s the next day — we thought we were sure we knew our SS and DOB so our focus was on the street address. We tried 801 Township Rd., 801 Township Road, 801 Township Rd., P. O. Box 282 (as on our tax returns for the past two years), 801 Township Rd., POB Box 282, and on and on with various spaces and then with various combinations coupled with 12009 and 12009-0282.

That took another two days — no joy!

It was like boxing in the trifecta at Saratoga but not as much fun..

I knew it had to be the address. It took a few more days for me to figure out more options. I started to review all my IRS correspondence. Finally, I found some 2017 correspondence with the IRS.

It seems, I thought and guessed, they want to “ignore” my current filing address in favor of their own 2017 version: PO BOX 282.  Does that sound like a “Street Address” (as the application requires)? My suspicions were correct. We went with IRS’s “non-street address” anyway — we were in!

Now on to page two! Uh-oh. We need our 2019 “adjusted gross income” and “refund” or “owed” amounts. So we retrieved our tax filings and entered the information. Denied! (of course). Another day passes —

Reading the fine print, we are told: “If your 2019 return has not yet been processed use the information on your 2018 return.” How nice? Another day passes —

Now we enter the 2018 information. Denied! New York State had corrected my NYS filing adding to the confusion. Was the federal refund $104.00 or $75.00 or $165.00? We try them all!

Another day passes —

Finally, one of the “adjusted gross incomes” matches with a “refund” amount. On to page three or was it on to page two. I can’t remember at this point.

But I do know we entered the direct-deposit information correctly. Finally, after weeks of trying — we won the IRS trifecta! Checks will go out May 1. Now it’s up to the USPS. I have confidence they will do their best.

They know us as we’ve had the same mailing address for over thirty years. But you never know.

Edward Cowley

Altamont