A local man says a kind gesture and an honest act got him audited by the IRS.
Donald Dunklee, from Genesee County's Richfield Township, says he sold $23 worth of vegetables from his garden and that the IRS wants to know why.
"I understand the needs of the IRS to keep the honest people honest so to speak, but this seems like overkill to me," says Dunklee.
He could hardly believe his eyes when he saw he was being audited by the IRS. The drug store manager lives a simple life on more than 20-acres, generating all of his own energy. He even gardens a little, which he says got him into trouble when someone stopped by and wanted some vegetables.
"The lady had a $50 bill and I said I'm not taking $50 for that. She said all she had was another $23. I said that I didn't want that either, and she shoved it in my pocket. So that's the income I reported, $23."
Dunklee figured the small figure wouldn't cause any problems, but he says it flagged the IRS because it's seen as farm income.
"I could say nothing, but it's not my nature. It's not how i grew up. It's not how my mom raised me."
Dunklee says he's not a farmer, receives no farming subsidies, and simply grows vegetables as a passion.
He says he's spent nearly two months and 30-hours of work preparing for the audit.
He thinks it's a big waste of time and money.
"They have so much tracking and so much information available. They should be able to research this entire return without anybody having to look at it from the outside."
He says he's nervous about meeting with the IRS, but that he has nothing to hide.
Dunklee says the IRS told him it was a random audit.
NBC25 contacted the IRS Tuesday. A representative says they can not comment on individual cases.
Don says he'll let NBC25 know how the meeting with the IRS goes Wednesday, and we'll pass along the information.
