A Colorado man spent nearly a year trying to rectify a life-altering mistake: the Internal Revenue Service had declared him dead, despite him being very much alive.
Phil Anderson detailed his situation with television station KMGH-TV in August , claiming his state tax accounts were locked after the IRS had declared him dead.
“Last time I checked, and in the immortal words of Monty Python, ‘I’m not dead yet,'” he told the television station in August.
After speaking to the television station, he later connected with Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen, who represents Colorado’s 7th congressional district.
A spokesperson for Rep. Pettersen confirmed to USA TODAY that her office stepped in to help after the mistaken declaration prevented Anderson from filing taxes or getting his refunds.
The office coordinated with the Taxpayer Advocate Service to correct the record, allowing Anderson to get his state tax refunds, according to the spokesperson for Rep. Pettersen. The Taxpayer Advocate Service is an independent office within the IRS.