Woman tries to tell IRS that she is still alive

LINDEN, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — A New Jersey woman has been battling the Internal Revenue Service to prove she’s still alive.

The unfortunate mix-up began with her mother’s death, and seven years later the situation has not been resolved, causing a tax nightmare for the woman and her father, CBS2’s Jessica Layton reported Tuesday.

As a summer camp counselor, 25-year-old Samantha Dreissig is full of energy and has an important outlook.

“Life is short. You never know when it’s gonna end,” she said.

But according to the IRS, hers ended seven years ago.

“The last actual person I had spoken to from the IRS — and I quote, ‘Wow, you’re dead all over our system,’” Dreissig said.

The morbid mix-up began when she tried to file her taxes in 2014, the same year her mom passed away of ovarian cancer. She believes the government has them confused, even though they don’t share the same first or last name.

“They say nope, sorry, this account’s linked to a deceased person,” Dreissig said.

And now this is causing problems for Dreissig’s father’s tax returns, with the IRS saying he’s trying to claim a deceased dependent.

During her only face-to-face meeting at an IRS taxpayer assistance center, she was promised it would be fixed.

“That was before COVID,” Dreissig said.

She has been ghosted ever since. So CBS2 called to find out how this could happen.

“She’s definitely not dead. I just spoke with her,” Layton told an IRS agent.

“Her last letter from the IRS says, “These situations may take some time to resolve.”

But seven years seems unacceptable.

“I honestly want the IRS to know that I’m alive, kicking,” Dreissig said.

Clearly. Now, if only government records would reflect that.