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“Jessica” came to Legal Aid when the IRS froze a tax refund she was relying on to support her family. According to the IRS, information in Jessica’s tax return didn’t match what her employer had reported about her wages. But now the refund money she needed wasn’t showing up. And the stakes were high - Jessica qualified for a federal housing subsidy, and she was struggling to make housing payments which would keep her eligible for that vital assistance.
We agreed to represent Jessica through our Low Income Tax Clinic. On reviewing all the records, our tax attorney, Tom Toft, discovered that Jessica’s tax preparer had made an error. Tom filed detailed records with the IRS to explain the situation and filed an amended tax return for Jessica. We also worked through the IRS’s Taxpayer Advocate Service to have Jessica’s return reviewed as quickly as possible. The outcome: Jessica was delighted and relieved to receive a $10,000 refund.
Jessica’s predicament threatened to upend her life. By coming to us, she got the help she needed to navigate a complex system, get justice, and maintain access to housing for her family. That’s the power of legal aid!
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