Tell me about these attractions

[Jingthing]

OK,

this is getting frustrating, so maybe someone has some info.

I am filing my taxes by mail, not online, so I am mailing my returns to the expat tax address in Austin, TX.

Last year, my Thailand registered mail letter got scanned at Bangkok airport (could view on Thai Post), scanned upon entry in the US (viewable on usps.com), but never scanned when it arrived at IRS.

I called IRS two months later and they had received the letter. Yippee. IRS told me never bother to call until after 2 months after you think they received the return, they are slow, to confirm they got it.

Last year, I also sent my Treasury bank account report to Detroit. That was scanned upon arrival in Detroit.

This year, I mailed the same two letters.

Neither was scanned at Bankok airport. Neither was scanned upon US entry. I could see they were "dispatched" by my local post office.

One month later, USPS showed a received entry at Detroit (the bank account report).

Now IRS, for now, no USPS track record in the US of any kind. So all I can do is what a few months and then call them.

A long story to ask a question about IRS Austin. Do they EVER scan their incoming mail, registered or EMS? It is a POST OFFICE box after all, and sometimes sending tracked mail to POST OFFICE boxes can be a problem. So far, with registered Thai mail, USPS is zero for two tracking this mail, but I suspect it did get there.

For those sending returns to Austin, how are you sending it? Regular mail, registered, EMS, DHL, Fedex? Are you getting track reports upon receipt at IRS Austin? Next year I am thinking of sending it regular mail to a friend in the US and having him post it from there.

Edited May 13, 2008 by Jingthing

[PeaceBlondie]

A long story to ask a question about IRS Austin. Do they EVER scan their incoming mail, registered or EMS? It is a POST OFFICE box after all, and sometimes sending tracked mail to POST OFFICE boxes can be a problem. So far, with registered Thai mail, USPS is zero for two tracking this mail, but I suspect it did get there.

For those sending returns to Austin, how are you sending it? Regular mail, registered, EMS, DHL, Fedex? Are you getting track reports upon receipt at IRS Austin? Next year I am thinking of sending it regular mail to a friend in the US and having him post it from there.

Jingthing, I understand your frustration, and will try to answer what I used to know from years ago. I worked at the Austin Service Center, 1979-1982 and 1984-1989, as a tax auditor and manager. Starting in February of each year, 18 wheel tractor trailers would back into the alley and deliver thousands or millions of tax returns. The scale is far too huge to monitor individual incoming items. Ten million returns per service center in about two months, plus their normal mail. Dozens of zombie-type lower level employees (mostly temps like students at UT Austin), opening mail, separating out the money and checks, seeing what kind of return it is....mind-numbing work. In one filing season, I once glanced at newly filed Forms 1065 (partnership returns), looking for tax shelters, a thousand documents per day, and was being paid a high salary to do it.

It is not a post office box. It is equal to several thousand PO boxes. The zip code does not even belong in Austin, but it is there. I trust the system because I worked there. I have sent returns from Thailand by EMS, without expecting it to be tracked live (hoped I could trace it if it went astray, later). And yes, it takes at least a month to get it processed. If you send it to a friend in the US (which is also tricky), you would want to send it to him long before April 15, although you can say you were not in the US at the time.

Only once in history did the filing season get so unmanageable that they started stuffing returns in the waste baskets and ceiling tiles (!!), and that scandal reformed the IRS.

Don't worry too much. Almost all the mail gets delivered and processed, and then we all went out for tequilas.

[lopburi3]

I have been filing on-line for the last decade and really think it is worth the $10 I pay each year for the software/filing fee. I just send the TD letter as my normal mail - from a pay to mail store and get there receipt. If ever asked I have the copy I made and that receipt, and tax paid on it, (but unless you are a Mafia figure don't believe there is much chance of ever being asked).

[Jingthing]

Thanks very much for the responses. I think I understand PB to be saying not to expect registered or EMS mail to be scanned on entry to IRS Austin. Interesting.

[tutsiwarrior]

I sent my tax return to Austin last month using Saudi EMS and it was scanned on arrival in Austin: 'USA - Austin, TX...Arrived at office' and scanned on delivery: 'USA - Austin, TX...Item delivered' (both events on the same day).

Looks like they kicked out the college student mail handlers and hired sum immigrants who know the value of a buck hard earned...or maybe sum unemployed real estate agents...