The IRS

The IRS always refuses to accept some of our children, thereby refusing us some of the child credits on our taxes. We don't know why. It seems to be a policy. I can see it in the IRS handbook: "If a family has exceeded a reasonable allotment of children, refuse to acknowledge at least two of them."

This last time, as usual, we protested. They decided, okay, they'd admit we have Francie. But they still refuse Angelo (this is for 2005, so he was under the age limit then and did qualify as a "child"). We got a letter saying that neither of the numbers we gave them for him (his green card number and then his Social Security Number, when we got one) were the same as the Social Security Administration records.

I got out the cards and looked. Both numbers that they would not accept were as written on the official cards, including his social security card. Right there in black and white (well, maybe blue and white . . . ).

Anyway. While messing with all this, I noticed one of the many helpful guidelines listed on our IRS statement. Sometimes, I'm just not sure where these people are coming from. I can't imagine why they included the advice, ""Please pay the amount you owe only once."