Well, I finally got around to printing out my 1040 and 2555 forms and tried to mail them to the IRS.  The Post Office girl said "No airmail to the USA.  500 baht for Surface (boat) and it will take 2 or 5 months!

 

As I spent the entire year overseas and earned by entire income from Non-US sources, I do not owe or receive tax payments.  However, I do file every year just to be on the safe side.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  I don't want to use TurboTax, as a friend who has sworn by them for years is now struggling with them. 

Edited May 3, 20206 yr by otherstuff1957

Can't you send it electronically?  I think certain filings are accepted free or at a minimal cost by the IRS.

 

I use Turbo tax and find it fast and efficient for my needs.

I would say Fedex or UPS but I think you can't send to a PO Box.

Prepare an envelope Fedex it to a friend in the US and have them drop it in a Mailbox.

They provide the stamp.

I just filed using H&R Block's online program, no problem at all. I downloaded it from Amazon, but you need to use a VPN set to USA to download the software for some reason. No problems updating the software or filing my taxes without using the VPN. 

If you are set on paper filing DHL still works great, just had a package sent from NJ and arrived in four days. I know FedEx will also take about a week. At the end of the day, it will probably cost the same as buying the software.

The 2020 filing deadline is July 15. You can safely wait till mid-June when regular airmail should be up and running again.

You have many free efile options available.

https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free

3 minutes ago, Dsquared said:

You have many free efile options available.

https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free

But make sure they allow foreign earned income paperwork - not sure if they do or not.

53 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

Prepare an envelope Fedex it to a friend in the US and have them drop it in a Mailbox.

They provide the stamp.

Not necessary.  E file or find the non P.O. Box address, there is one for sure, I have used in the past.

https://www.irs.gov/filing/submission-processing-center-street-addresses-for-private-delivery-service-pds

file online using the irs freefillableforms website.  it will accept 2555's.

 

https://www.freefilefillableforms.com/

 

you can also apply for an extension which should give you until october 15 to file.

 

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/us-citizens-and-resident-aliens-abroad

 

Edited May 3, 20206 yr by ChouDoufu

efile....but like already said make sure the efiling company you are using allow 2555s as apparently some don't.  The US Embassy in Bermuda offers some good advice for overseas taxpayers...see below link.

https://bm.usconsulate.gov/u-s-citizen-services/internal-revenue-service-u-s-taxes/overseas-taxpayers-can-use-irs-free-file-prepare-e-file-tax-returns/

"File online using the irs freefillableforms website."

 

That is not an IRS website. It's a private site run by Intuit.

 

From their FAQ:

 

"Where is my data stored? All tax data is stored in the secure Free File Fillable Forms database."

 

So many many times we've heard about these "secure"  databases . . .

I can't remember the last time I actually mailed a 1040 to the IRS.

 

It's got to be close to 20 years, either in the US or overseas, that I haven't filed electronically

Quote

500 baht for Surface (boat) and it will take 2 or 5 months!

 

She's an idiot and using the wrong code. Sadly way too much of that in the Thai postal service.

 

Tell her to type in code 150 and ask for a registered sticker.

 

It will cost around 100 baht, and delivery will take about 6 weeks.

 

 

8 hours ago, Why Me said:

The 2020 filing deadline is July 15. You can safely wait till mid-June when regular airmail should be up and running again.

 

No. He means 2020 filing for his 2019 taxes. Not mid-June 2021 for this year's taxes.

 

International SAL services running by mid June this year. That's a knee slapper.  You're a funny guy. The absolute earliest SAL services are going to be restarted is Q4, and that is really pushing it.

 

 

1 hour ago, Monomial said:

No. He means 2020 filing for his 2019 taxes. Not mid-June 2021 for this year's taxes.

What I mean too. The deadline for filing 2019 tax return is July 15, 2020.

See https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/payment-deadline-extended-to-july-15-2020

 

And if I am not mistaken the return has only to be stamped before July 15. So the OP's got 2 1/2 months.

 

1 hour ago, Monomial said:

The absolute earliest SAL services are going to be restarted is Q4, and that is really pushing it.

What else did daddy tell you?

12 hours ago, Why Me said:

The 2020 filing deadline is July 15. You can safely wait till mid-June when regular airmail should be up and running again.

I sent it they go by post date , I don't care if it never gets there .

14 hours ago, muffy said:

I sent it they go by post date , I don't care if it never gets there .

Nope. Little known fact. They only go by post date from the USPS. Overseas postal services aren't given the same consideration.  This was the original reason behind allowing expats overseas the automatic extension to June 15 from April 15.

 

16 hours ago, Why Me said:

What I mean too. The deadline for filing 2019 tax return is July 15, 2020.

See https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/payment-deadline-extended-to-july-15-2020

 

And if I am not mistaken the return has only to be stamped before July 15. So the OP's got 2 1/2 months.

 

 

You are mistaken. It has to be stamped by July 15 by the USPS. Foreign postal services don't count. However, it is very unlikely you will be penalized for that technical detail this year. In fact, you are never really penalized for it. The only way it really matters is if you are enclosing a check for taxes due.

 

 

16 hours ago, Why Me said:

What else did daddy tell you?

 

My daddy doesn't have to tell me anything. I actually have this thing called knowledge. I had an interesting email exchange with the head office guys at Thailand Post. SAL services are only going to resume to any country once they can be reasonably confident of sufficient passenger airline traffic to assure that the necessary volume of mail can be accepted. If you think borders will be open and general passenger travel are going to be fully restarted in quantity by July this year I want some of whatever you are using. Maybe by Q4 at the earliest.

 

Until then, we are going to be stuck with surface mail to the 22 countries with whom they have surface mail agreements. So get used to 6 week delivery times to the states for the forseeable future. And consider ourselves lucky. If we were from Australia we'd have no way to mail in our tax forms from Thailand, with no solution on the immediate horizon.

 

 

Edited May 4, 20206 yr by Monomial

"Foreign postal services don't count."

 

You don't know what you're talking about.

 

Rev. Rul. 2002-23:

 

"The Internal Revenue Service will accept, as timely filed, a federal tax return, claim for refund, statement, or other document required or permitted to be filed with the Service that is mailed from and officially postmarked in a foreign country on or before the last date prescribed for filing, including any extension of time for filing."

 

 

I concur with taxout on the above.  I actually called the IRS Taxpayer Assistance Line one time when I sent my return from Thai Post by April 15 but it did not arrive until 5 weeks later (I assume it either got temporarily lost or was mis-routed somewhere along the way).  The lady I talked to said as long as it was postmarked by April 15 it would be fine, though suggested I hang on to my post office receipt (which I did) just in case it was ever questioned (which it wasn't).

 

And if you don't want to wait for Thai Post to be offering overseas Express Mail and Air Mail services again, you can always send it via UPS, DHL or FedEx (according to FedEx Thailand's website they are currently adding a temporary surcharge for outbound International Express service).

My experience is if you don’t owe or if they owe you money you can file anytime in the future without penalty. I never filed years on end when I was young as I was due a little or owed nothing. Might look that up to confirm and forget about it until mail system is running in a way you’re comfortable. 

"If you file your return more than 60 days after the due date or extended due date, the minimum penalty is the smaller of $135 or 100 percent of the unpaid tax."

 

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/eight-facts-on-late-filing-and-late-payment-penalties

1 hour ago, taxout said:

"If you file your return more than 60 days after the due date or extended due date, the minimum penalty is the smaller of $135 or 100 percent of the unpaid tax."

 

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/eight-facts-on-late-filing-and-late-payment-penalties

Good to know. It’s changed. $135 to forget about it if you don’t owe anything or they owe you. 

We're talking there about IRS administrative penalties.

 

Failure to file when you're required to file is also a crime, with its own penalties. Prosecutions aren't too common, but the threat is an effective cudgel.

 

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/7203

 

FBAR penalties are a different ball of wax.