The widow of a slain Colorado State Patrol trooper was shorted tens of thousands of dollars in benefits for 22 years because PERA improperly deducted federal income taxes from her survivor benefits.
Tax law exempts pension benefits for survivors of a public safety officer killed in the line of duty. Other widows are also affected, but PERA officials have not been able to determine how many or how much money is involved.
And because the mistake went unnoticed for so long, Sonja Fry of Colorado Springs will only be able to get back four out of 22 years worth of the improperly paid taxes.
“You don’t know how many times I cried myself to sleep because I didn’t have enough money to pay the taxes and penalties and would have to make monthly payments to the IRS,” Fry said.
