Palos Hills woman absolved of paying income taxes on $50K she didn't earn

PALOS HILLS, Ill. (WLS) -- The IRS has resolved a situation for an elderly Palos Hills woman who was being sent tax bills for $50,000 from a railroad pension she didn't earn.

Olga Rusewicz was being accused of owing about $3,000 in back taxes for alleged income of about $48,000 over recent years in a railroad pension. But she never worked for the railroad, and never collected the money. She believes she was a victim of identity theft and a tax return scam in which someone filed for taxes in her name.

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Rusewicz, who lives on social security, contacted the I-Team after she was unable to get results through the IRS.

After the I-Team reached out, an IRS spokesperson said they would help her get in touch with the Taxpayer Advocate Service Office, which she and her brother-in-law had not been told about.

Months later, Rusewicz received a letter form the IRS saying it had placed an "identity theft indicator" on the taxpayer ID number to protect her in the future and that they were closing her case, stating, "You don't need to take further action."

Ruseqicz said she's elated to no longer be responsible for those taxes, and was also worried the IRS would garnish her social security payments; now those fears are gone.

If you are experiencing a similar dispute by the IRS , you should reach out to the Taxpayer Advocate Service Office, which is run with the IRS. Their national number is 877-777-4778. Their local Chicago office is located at 230 S. Dearborn, Room 2820, and the phone number for the Chicago office is 312-292-3800. You can also email them at tas.il.chicago@irs.gov or visit their website here.