IRS ends homeless mans taxing ordeal

The agency says his $6 million bill was a mistake.

MICHAEL ROSE
Statesman Journal
April 5, 2003

John Ramer, known as the six-million-dollar man by his buddies at the Union Gospel Mission in Salem, no longer has to worry about the taxman.

Ramer was notified Friday that his staggering $5,981,104.02 tax bill was an error and he owed nothing, according to IRS documents.

The IRS refused to comment on the cases resolution, but an agency spokeswoman previously confirmed that they were looking into Ramers complaints.

The 30-year-old Ramer said the agencys Taxpayer Advocate Service traced the source of the mistake to an employers computer glitch in 1994.

It was just the luck of the draw that it happened to me, Ramer said.

The problem started with some malfunctioning magnetic tape.

Instead of reporting earnings of $35 to the IRS for a few hours work at a bowling alley, the mistake ballooned Ramers pay to more than $2 million.

Penalties and interest jacked the amount into the $6 million range.

His former boss said he didnt remember Ramers brief stint behind the snack counter, but he did recall there were some problems with the companys W-2 forms about 10 years ago.

Ramer is required to live at the mission as part of his parole; he stole a car in 1998.

The story of the homeless mans humongous tax bill went nationwide.Several television stations showed up at the mission, CNN featured a report on his tax troubles, and newspaper accounts were posted on dozens of Web sites.

The publicity hasnt done much for Ramer.

A television reporter bought him lunch, and someone gave him a T-shirt that says, Im not really a bum, but I play one on TV.

Michael Rose can be reached at (503) 399-6657.