Who said the IRS is not generous?

IRS Sends $122,783 Check by Mistake

House Cleaner Sensed it was an Error and Returned Check; IRS won’t Comment

SOURCE: CBS

A Denver-area house cleaner could hardly believe her eyes when she opened up the mail. She was expecting to pay the Internal Revenue Service, but instead she received a refund check for more than $100,000.

Laura Schultz readily admits she’s not a wealthy woman. Her job with Sunshine Maids does not put her in the category that would bring a refund in the hundreds of thousands of dollars; but the IRS sent her a check for $122,783.51.

“It didn’t make sense,” Schultz said.

It certainly was a real check.

“I didn’t feel I was owed that much money, so I called the IRS,” Schultz said. “They told me to void it.”

CBS4’s Rick Sallinger asked the IRS what would happen if somebody decided to keep a mistaken $122,000 check. An official said if they were caught they’d have to pay it back, plus interest.

Schultz voided the check as the IRS requested.

“I feel pretty good about turning it in.”

The IRS says it cannot comment on what caused the error, but Schultz still has to pay the $80 she owed.