Blytheville: Meet the IRS

photo via adam-ross.com

Blytheville – a small town in Mississippi County, Arkansas.  Population 15,620.

Definition of blythe:

  1. of a happy lighthearted character or disposition
  2. lacking due thought or consideration

Blytheville appears to have been appropriately named, at least with regard to it’s tax obligations.  But the city still deserves to be treated fairly and still deserves IRS’ best efforts.

The city owes an undisclosed amount (somewhere in the millions of dollars) in back payroll taxes, and its tax attorneys are working with the IRS, trying to establish an installment agreement. The city put into place a temporary local sales tax to raise revenue for the back IRS tax debt, but the IRS will not accept the money directly.  For now, according to the IRS, funds must go through Blytheville bank account first.  Also, the IRS has not accepted the city’s installment agreement proposal.  City officials are beyond frustrated by how difficult the IRS is making things for them:

This seems to make no sense and is contrary to their own best interest….It’s amazing to see how something so simple is being made so complicated….[T]he IRS has even made receiving money complicated.

~ Blytheville Mayor, James Sanders

I love the innocence and honesty of this quote.  This is obviously a “first impression” situation.  I am also appalled by how the IRS tends to make things more complicated than necessary, I just no longer find it surprising.