Letter to USA with tracking or return receipt?

[ricklev]

I have to mail in my tax return to the USA.  The timing is not important so I don't want the expense of EMS but I would like tracking or confirmation that it arrived.  Which Thailand Post product will work for that or is that only available with EMS?  Thanks.  

[CharlieH]

EMS is faster and expensive. Use "lon Tabien" thats "registered mail" takes about 10-14 days which is trackable on the USPS website and Thaipost.

 

[ricklev]

31 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

EMS is faster and expensive. Use "lon Tabien" thats "registered mail" takes about 10-14 days which is trackable on the USPS website and Thaipost.

 

Thanks. Exactly what I needed to know!

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, ricklev said:

I have to mail in my tax return to the USA.  The timing is not important so I don't want the expense of EMS but I would like tracking or confirmation that it arrived.  Which Thailand Post product will work for that or is that only available with EMS?  Thanks.  

Registered post.

[Srikcir]

You can also file electronically directly with the IRS or through any of its filing "partners" such as IRS Free File Program delivered by Online Taxes at OLT.com. You'll get tracking and acceptance notification for return or reason for rejection. 

[PeterA]

I sent a registered letter to the US in January. It took 35 days to get there. I would skip registered.

Spend the extra and go EMS with tracking.  Since your watching funds, go Airmail with tracking, and signature required.

The post office will be happy to sell you whatever you need.

[Hakuna Matata]

Return Receipt (also known as Advice of Receipt or A.R.) is a red colored card that you fill in and give to the post office, and pay 65 Thai Baht for this service, to have it returned back to you with the recipient's signature.

 

This is in theory.

 

Having said this, I don't know any postal service in the world that will return this red card back to you, except Hongkong Post. In my opinion, Hongkong Post is the best in the world.

 

USPS will never return the red card! They just don't know what to do with it.

 

Edited April 12 by Hakuna Matata

[Hakuna Matata]

18 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Registered post.

 

ePacket is cheaper than Registered Air Mail, and has full Track & Trace service.

[nitehawk42]

Thai post has a service which will get mail to USA in about 3 weeks. Cost about 400 baht.

Traceable using Global International web site.

[ricklev]

13 minutes ago, nitehawk42 said:

Thai post has a service which will get mail to USA in about 3 weeks. Cost about 400 baht.

Traceable using Global International web site.

That's what I ended up using as it also came with signature on delivery.  I couldn't figure out my options on the Thai Post website and the clerk didn't really want to describe cheaper options.  That is fine.  It is already on the USPS tracking site showing acceptance at the Thai post office.  

 

No hurry for delivery as I already paid my taxes online and filed for an extension so there are no penalties for late submission. 

[Expat4life66]

2 hours ago, ricklev said:

That's what I ended up using as it also came with signature on delivery.  I couldn't figure out my options on the Thai Post website and the clerk didn't really want to describe cheaper options.  That is fine.  It is already on the USPS tracking site showing acceptance at the Thai post office.  

 

No hurry for delivery as I already paid my taxes online and filed for an extension so there are no penalties for late submission. 

If you live outside the US you get an automatic two extra months to file, so no need to file the 4868 (extention) for future reference.   Of course if using EFTPS for payments, and if not paid, balance due does begin to accrue interest on 15 April.  

 

To give you an idea about processing times I have a couple of examples:

 

In 2021 I had to send a paper return to the Austin Processing Center when the IRS changed the reporting requirement for the 10-year foreign tax credit schedule and TT hadn't made the update to the software by early April.  Sent DHL (1200 THB), and was signed for after 7 days but two months later the return hadn't been received / processed.   I ended up filing in June electronically after TT software was updated and never heard a word about that paper return. 

 

In 2016 also had to file paper return from Thailand when I requested an ITIN number for my wife to file married/joint.  Austin Center took about 5 months to process the return / refund and generate the ITIN.  Slow, but the process worked.

Edited April 12 by Expat4life66

[BirdieMan]

Is the tax return going to a PO Box? If so, sending it registered won't work. There is nobody there to sign for it. I make that mistake once sending my tax return registered to a PO Box, and it was returned as undeliverable.

Also, my wife said the most all the Post Offices are closed for Songkran from day 12 to 15, so you may have trouble finding one that is open.

[Expat4life66]

1 hour ago, BirdieMan said:

Is the tax return going to a PO Box? If so, sending it registered won't work. There is nobody there to sign for it. I make that mistake once sending my tax return registered to a PO Box, and it was returned as undeliverable.

Also, my wife said the most all the Post Offices are closed for Songkran from day 12 to 15, so you may have trouble finding one that is open.

If you need to file a paper return and don't owe any additional tax over what you have already paid, or you are getting a refund, US residents living abroad are directed to send the paper return to the Austin, TX IRS Processing Center (link below) to avoid the scenario you mention above.  Been that way for at least 12 years. 

 

If you owe $$ and you have to file a paper return for some reason, you can get around the PO box issue by using EFTPS to pay a balance due (same website for quarterly estimated payments) then send the paper return to Austin.  You used to be able to send checks to Austin with your paper return, not sure when that changed.

 

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/us-citizens-and-resident-aliens-abroad-where-and-when-to-file-and-pay

Edited April 12 by Expat4life66