By Chris Pugh
cleveland.com
(TNS)
COOPERTOWN, Tenn. — A Tennessee farmer says a tax refund he received from the IRS by mistake has become a yearslong battle that has left him facing additional charges, emotional stress and fears that the dispute could threaten his property, according to newschannel5.com.
Wilson Perry Kirby, a 76-year-old Coopertown resident and retired Montgomery County Highway Department employee, said he received a $20,000 IRS refund in May 2022 that he believed he was not entitled to keep, The Daily Mail said. Kirby said he immediately tried to return the money, working with his accountant to correct what he believed was an agency error, according to AOL.
Kirby said he believed the issue would be resolved once the IRS received the money back, but he said the agency instead assessed interest charges on the payment. The dispute continued for years, eventually resulting in the IRS withholding his 2025 tax refund, according to Kirby.
“I didn’t make a mistake, my accountant didn’t make a mistake,” Kirby said. “They made a mistake.”
Kirby said the financial impact and uncertainty have taken a heavy emotional toll. He said he has contacted multiple government officials, hoping someone could help resolve the dispute with the federal tax agency.
The IRS has declined to comment on the specifics of Kirby’s situation, citing federal privacy laws that prevent the agency from discussing individual taxpayer cases.
Kirby said he believed the matter had finally been resolved after hearing from the office of U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn shortly before a previous news report aired. He said he was told the issue had been settled, but additional IRS notices continued to arrive.
In July, Kirby said he received another IRS notice demanding payment of thousands of dollars in interest related to the disputed refund. The notice warned of possible collection actions if the balance was not addressed, according to Kirby.
Kirby later met with the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service in Nashville, an independent organization within the IRS designed to assist taxpayers dealing with unresolved problems involving the agency. He said the meeting did not immediately provide a solution.
The farmer said his main request is simple: He wants one person assigned to his case who can help bring the dispute to an end.
After inquiries from WTVF, the IRS agreed to contact Kirby directly about the matter. The station also connected him with a Nashville tax attorney who handles IRS disputes and offered to discuss possible legal options with him.
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Tags: Income Taxes, IRS, refund, tax disputes, tax refund, tax refunds, Taxes
