Adventures in Logic at the IRS

I'm not usually one to grouse about government ineptitude, but today I'll make an exception.

As part of my job I prepare and file a few dozen tax returns a year.  Every now and then I get a piece of fan-mail back from the IRS regarding one of these filings and we become pen-pals for several weeks.  I've learned to maintain my files so that I'm prepared for these love notes.  One of the easiest ways to prevent confusion...deliver the tax returns by hand instead of by mail to the nearest IRS taxpayer center and have them time stamp a copy of the front page of the return.  It's a beautiful thing.  There's nothing sexier than a clean set of workpapers.

Only problem with my system...I was informed today that the IRS will no longer stamp copies of returns for people like me.  Why?  As a cost-saving measure.  Check out the transcript of my conversation with the IRS agent (as I remember it):

Me:  Here are the tax returns I need filed.  I tried to make it as easy for you, so I made copies of the front page of each return and marked them with a "COPY" stamp.  Everything should be in order.
Agent:  Oh, okay.  Just so you know...for your information...this is the last time we'll be stamping copies of your returns for you.
Me:  Seriously?  Why?
Agent:  It's a cost-saving measure.
Me:  That's weird.  So you want us to use certified-return receipt from the post office?  That's really inconvenient for our workpapers.
Agent:  Sorry, but you don't pay us to stamp copies of the returns.
Me:  Yeah I do.  I just gave you two estimated tax payments.  It's the IRS's job to collect and process taxes.
Agent:  Sorry.  This is the last time.
Me:  Whatever.  It's not your fault. *facepalm*

Total length of visit, including stamping the documents...5 minutes.  For comparison, it would have taken me at least half an hour to prepare certified-return receipt forms, stuff all the returns in appropriate envelopes, walk to the post office, wait another half an hour for the post office employee to process the certified-return receipt forms (including time in line), pay a few dollars per return on the postage, and maintain the returns in limbo until I get the receipt backs from the post office (usually a few weeks).  Kind of a pain.

Wait a second, don't the post office employees work for the government too?  Hold on, aren't those tax payments also going to support their salaries?  Just a minute, didn't that take a lot more time and expense to do it the other way?  Oh well, at least the IRS is saving money.

Before you say it, I realize that this is another good reason to e-file, which we are now required to do for a lot of our returns.  In any case, it's a funny story.