Couple pays $30k more tax than needed but they were still fined $661

A COUPLE revealed how they ended up paying $30,000 more tax than necessary after making an error on their check.

But, compounding their misery even further was that they had to pay penalty fees to bosses at the Internal Revenue Service.

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Joy and Kenneth Hays owed $3,360 for this tax year, but she spelled out the figure incorrectly, as per KABC-TV.

In one box, she wrote the amount in the numbers. 

But, she wrote “thirty-three thousand” on the line that states pay to the order of.

Joy, from California, didn’t realize she had made the mistake and tried to send the check. 

But, it bounced back on two separate occasions.

The couple was hit with a penalty fine of $661 as bosses believed they underpaid or submitted their payment late.

They tried to resolve the issue with IRS representatives but encountered hurdles. 

On one occasion, they were on the line for six hours. 

But, it disconnected meaning the couple didn’t really get close to resolving the issue.

Kenneth told how he tried to resolve the issue with Chase representatives.

“I mean you’d think someone would look at the check and realize that it was wrong,” he lamented.

He also opened up about the impact of the error.

“We argue so much about it, we almost got a divorce,” he said.

The U.S. Sun has approached the IRS for comment. 

Last month, Jasmine Walton received two tax bills – even though she paid on time.

She opened up about the impact of the saga, claiming it almost sent her family into a “tizzy.”

Banks have shared tips on what customers should do if they make a mistake when writing a check.

The word void should be written across the check in capital letters, according to PNC Bank.

Americans should use a pen when voiding their check, rather than pencil. 

This is because there is a greater risk the word could be erased. 

Voided checks should be stored in a safe location. 

Customers are encouraged to keep tabs on their bank statements just in case there are any unusual 

“It can also alert you to potential issues, such as errors or fraudulent activity, that may not appear in your online banking history in real-time payments,” a PNC Bank representative said.