We might be somebody else, according to the state of Illinois!

 20-May-2023

Where am I?  Oh, yes, I am at Everleigh, or  as some folks call it, Neverleigh.   Well, here's the story. My name is Barbara Palmer.   The state of Illinois does not believe that.  However, they will not tell me who I really am.  Are you confused?  Read on, you will probably become even more confused.

In April shortly after the tax deadline I received a form from the State of Illinois Department of Revenue.  It was titled Identity Verification - Quiz.  It stated the Quiz Due Date as 16-June-2023.  I was bewildered.  What were they talking about.  My days of quizzes were over a long, long time ago.  

The paper went on to say that they received a 2022 Illinois Individual Income Tax Return, filed with my Social Security number or individual Taxpayer Identification that requires further review.  In order to protect my identity I needed to take a quiz to ensure they issue the refund to  the correct person.

Wha....?  First of all, I do not get a refund because I do not owe any income tax in Illinois.  This state does not tax pensions because that is considered double taxing as we already paid on the money when we earned it before it went into the pension.   Pensioners must file in income tax forms though which I always do.

First thought: scam.  Someone wanted me to believe I have to take some quiz that will reveal my SSN and other information and then they will clean me out financially.  Ha!  I would not fall for that!  I looked at the form.  Now, there was writing on both sides of the paper with lots of dense tiny printing.  It was just the kind of form you want to  toss in the waste basket.  I figured that I wasn't getting a refund anyway so what did I care about any quiz.  

But what if this was real and someone had filed an Illinois Income Tax form in my name?   They might be at my bank right now stealing every penny.  How would I continue living at lovely Neverleigh if I had no money for the rent next month?  Yikes!

So, I went to my computer and looked for the real Illinois web pages.  I found them and the telephone numbers matched up.  My Identity paper was the real thing.  I called and talked to someone and they verified that I must take the quiz.  Dang!

Here's the deal.  You must have the last four numbers of your SSN and your state issued Illinois driver's license or state identification card, and copies of your prior IL-1040, Illinois Tax Return.   I rounded up these items.  Finding my tax return was not easy because it is in my computer and my computer does not give up things easily.  Luckily, I have a very, very good friend who is a computer person  (some people actually go to those free computer classes at Apple!) and he managed to find it eventually.  It was hard for him to work blindfolded though because he did not want to know anything about my personal taxes.  Some people are too honest!

With the information  finally in front of me I found the  quiz on my computer.  The first thing it said was that I had only five minutes to complete the five question quiz.  Okay!  I began and the questions were weird.  The easiest was the last four numbers on my driver's license or how did I file my tax, married, single etc., Then there were four groups of numbers.  Did I recognize them as a former telephone number or address? There were more questions like that.  Hmmm.  I finished the quiz and  guess what?  I did not pass!

It  said I could take another quiz.  Okay.  It had similar questions.  Guess what?  I did not pass again.  So, who am I if I am not who I thought I was for many, many years?  Were my parents lying? Should I contact my siblings and ask them to tell me who I really am?  Does the state of Illinois know who I really am?  Maybe if I can find out who I am I will suddenly discover I and very rich and much younger!  

I called the state and told the person that I flunked the quizzes but I had no refund coming anyway.  I was rather irate and told them I was not going to live very long so I had no time to send them copies of my passport, my birth certificate, my driver's license, a utility bill, a college or university transcript, a rental agreement, an insurance policy and a credit card statement.  I am who I am and if they did not like it that was too bad.

The next day I started worrying about identify theft.  Who was filing another income tax form in my name? Did they use my social security number?  How come the state knew my address but did not think I was me? It did not make any sense.  Something was wrong!  I called the state again and talked to Kenneth.  I complained and questioned.  Well, Kenneth told me that hundreds, no, thousands of people tried to defraud the state and even the IRS.  They were trying to stop this.  It turns out that they just pick any old return at random and send out their Identity Verification letter.  No one sent in a duplicate return with my name.  I was just a random choice,  WHY can't they just randomly pick out my name for the lottery winner?  (Perhaps I have to buy a lottery ticket for  that to happen!)

Anyway, folks, if someone here at 504 receives an Identity Verification notice from the state of Illinois do not worry about it.  You were selected randomly.  I wish you would take the quiz though and see if I am the only one who does not really exist.  We can start a club or something.  

So will I send in the above mentioned items to prove who I am?  I'll think about it.  It's sort of fun to not be myself once in a while.  Just call me Incognito.