Admit it: you’ve thought about how cool it would be to be caught on camera outside of the Today Show in Rockefeller Plaza. Thousands flock to the famous glassed-in wall every day to be seen with a message, usually something along the lines of “We love Justin” or “Happy Birthday, Kate” as Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, and Natalie Morales deliver the news of the day.
Pak Chong Mar had a message that he wanted viewers to see but it wasn’t nearly so sweet as birthday wishes. The 70-something (his real age is a mystery) year old Chinese immigrant sliced his wrists with a box cutter in a dramatic move some are calling a suicide attempt. He did so as tourists waited to catch a glimpse of the Today show cast and was immediately tackled by security.
It turns out that Pak had an agenda: he was protesting the Internal Revenue Service. He told the Daily News that he planned the demonstration to call attention to his tax fight, saying:
I had to do something desperate to fight the corruption, fight the IRS. They are so powerful.
No, Pak wasn’t alluding to the recent tax-exempt organization scandal or the allegations of reckless spending. He is referring to his personal tax fight; he claims that the IRS is attempting to bankrupt him.
According to Pak, he made millions trading stocks but has since lost it all as a result of levies from the IRS. Just before he cut himself, he attempted to hand out a note to passersby, written on a seizure notice, accusing the IRS of taking $300,000 from him and trying to collect nearly $1 million more. He said about his cause, “I need people to help me fight for justice.”
Pak’s daughter, Lisa Yu Paks, indicated that his actions were desperate but not intended to be fatal. She said, “[I]t’s a cry for help. If [he] was suicidal he would have done something much more drastic.”
This isn’t Pak’s only cry for help. In 1995, he used a meat cleaver to chop three fingers off of his left hand and hurled them into a crowd of people at the Hong Kong Dragon Board Festival.
Clearly, Pak has some serious issues that go beyond his tax problems. That said, being under the thumb of the IRS can be extremely stressful. Harming yourself is never the way out. If you have tax problems that are overwhelming you, please know that help is available. Consider these options:
- Call the IRS. You can call the number on your notice or the general number (1.800.829.1040). Remember that the people on the other end of the line are real people. They don’t take any particular joy in making your life miserable and most really are willing to help you out.
- Call the Tax Advocate. If you still can’t resolve your issue with the IRS, try the advocate at 1.877.777.4778. The advocate offers free help in resolving your tax problems if you haven’t been able to solve them on your own.
- Consider a payment plan. If you qualify to use the online payment agreement application (generally, if you owe less than $50,000 and you are now compliant with tax filings), you can make arrangements to pay off your tax bill in installments over the internet – without even talking to anyone at IRS.
- Hire a tax professional. Seriously. We do this for a living. Resolving your issue is probably less expensive than you think and using a tax pro to communicate with IRS means that you don’t have to.
The worst thing that you can do is nothing at all. Okay, I take that back. The worst thing that you can do is harm yourself. The second worst thing is nothing at all. If you are confused, stressed, or frightened by your tax situation, you’re not alone. Help is available. All you have to do is ask.