So the other day we get a registered letter from the state of Louisiana. In this letter, they claim we owe over $600 in income tax from 2004. This is patently ridiculous, as we usually have to jump through hoops in order to get our money back from Louisiana after it's deducted from my husband's pay. They probably owe *us* money for some obscure deduction we missed.
Here's what makes me angry about this... I'm sure we're not the only targets. And furthermore, anyone who went through Katrina as we did will have a hard time proving they don't owe money, as all our paper records were the first thing destroyed in the disaster. You may be able to rescue a couch or a picture frame, but try rescuing a stack of photos or a cabinet of file folders after being soaked.
Don't talk to me about secondary storage sites... this disaster and its effects stretched way beyond the recommended distance you are supposed to keep backup copies of any items. Any bank safety deposit or storage locker would have been just as susceptible to damage. Even a CD backup would have been vulnerable to scratches, water damage, and the *vermin invasion* that happened after Katrina.
They're feeling broke, and they're pretty much mugging us for money we can't afford to lose.
We have 60 days to pay it. We have 30 days to contest it before they get bitchy about it. If we don't pay it, they'll garnish it from any refund we have coming to us this year. It's robbery, and it makes me angry.
PS. Did I mention we live in Texas now? :/
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