SACRAMENTO —
Dozens of people planning to pick up end-of-year tax forms were disappointed to find the Internal Revenue Service’s Tax Assistance Center on Watt Avenue closed on Tuesday.
But it was the reason given that had many of those people infuriated. A sign at the building located at 4330 Watt Avenue said: “This office is closed due to local weather conditions.”
On the sunny day, many took issue with that reason.
“Weather conditions? Yeah, maybe somebody decided to take the day off,” said Barbara Wilson, who came to the center to pick up tax forms Tuesday.
“This has got to be one of the best worst excuses ever,” said Daunte Burks, who also came for tax forms Tuesday.
With New Year’s Eve right around the corner, many people told FOX40 they need tax forms and some came a long way to get them.
“You get to drive yourself back home, sit in the traffic now for three hours,” said Sean Rulifson, who came from Marysville and wouldn’t have bothered with Sacramento rush hour had he known the center was closed. “They could at least put it on their website, and I checked their website before I drove down here.”
But the IRS said the closure was in fact temperature related. An IRS spokesperson told FOX40 the heating system was not functioning inside the building, and so the tax assistance center was closed due to low temperatures.
The spokesperson said that system is being repaired, and their office should be open Wednesday. Still most people FOX40 spoke with feel the IRS could have done more.
“They had their holiday last week, they should be here like every other working citizen,” said Maryann Velo, who was also disappointed with the closure.
“If they were here earlier, and I don’t know if they were, why didn’t they just stay around and just tell people what was going on,” Wilson said.
“Whatever the reason that they have is the reason that they have, and they’ll give you some lame reason as to why they weren’t open, so,” Burks said.
