LEBANON — A Lebanon woman received her tax refund check in the mail, but there was one big problem.
On the check, Marsha Bentley's last name was listed as Harney.
The IRS put the name of the street she lives on as Bentley's last name.
"It's Harney and Harney Drive. You know they screwed up somehow. My real last name is Bentley, like the car," said Bentley.
Her bank wouldn't cash the check.
"It's been very frustrating because my lawyer didn't know what to do and I need it to pay them." she said. "That's what I was going to use this for was to pay them. Then the bank couldn't help me. And when I called, I would be on the line 40-hours with the IRS and not get any response back, or anything. I couldn't talk to anybody."
Bentley turned to RTV6 for help.
Reporter Nicole Griffin got in touch with an IRS media contact and was told Bentley needed to call a national toll free number.
Bentley had already done that and wasn't able to reach a real person.
However, Turbo Tax has a tip for getting through to the IRS -- certain numbers to call to get a representative.
It worked!
Here is a link to the Turbo Tax information:
To get a new check, Bentley must void the wrong one, mail it in and hope that the new check is correct.
The IRS suggests you use the toll-free number if you need help. It is: 1-800-829-1040.
The best time to call is late in the day, especially on Friday.
It is also possible to schedule an appointment at an IRS office, of which there are 10 in Indiana.
This link has information on where the offices are.
