IRS has not picked up mail from a post office box for months with returns and checks in the envelopes

[AmyRose]

Good day.

I have been informed that several USVI clients/residents that sent the 1040SS forms to the Charlotte NC IRS PO Box, prior to the filing deadline, that the envelopes have never been shown as delivered by USPS Priority Mail when you input the tracking number. 

As a matter of fact, they have a message on the site that the final delivery notice on x date and the items will be returned. They are sitting there well past this x final delivery date too.

I always tell clients to keep the USPS Priority mail receipt and to check weekly and print off the delivery confirm for their files too. 

This has gone on way too long.

Any suggestions on what to do here?

Of course, we want to avoid penalties and late filings, but what more can we do if it was mailed on time using USPS priority mail, and the envelopes have been sitting in an IRS mailbox for two months or more uncollected by the agency? Some of these SS tax related payments are in excess of $10k.

Thank you!

[IRonMaN]

There isn't anything you can do.  Just tell your clients to hang on to the tracking information in the event the packages really are returned to them.  The problem could be an IRS issue or it could be a USPS issue.  Maybe someone at the Post Office decided that it was too much work to scan IRS packages when they leave the Post Office and they really did make it to the IRS.

[BobKamman]

The Post Office quite often doesn't scan mail sent to various IRS addresses as delivered.  Just too much of it, and they have better things to do.  Were there any checks in any of that mail?  Have they been cashed?  Did the clients prepare their own envelopes, or did you do them?  Are you sure the address was correct on all of them?  Do you have other clients who sent mail to the same address, which has been scanned as delivered?

[AmyRose]

Good thoughts. Yes, some had checks in them. Asking if they have been cashed various ones. I generally do the envelopes and use the addresses provided by IRS to make it easy and verified of course this is the correct address. No way I want to research and ask clients if their stuff was delivered. Time issue. Thank you for the note. It is just never happened before, and more than one  in limbo at same address...weird.

[AmyRose]

Thank you for the note.

[PATAX]

I've mailed to various entities over the years via certified mail, and sometimes it took a while for the signed postcard to come back. I didn't worry about it because I had the postmark stamped certified receipt from when I mailed it. And I never had any problems with late filing fees or anything else. You have proof it was mailed, so I wouldn't worry about it. I've also used USPS Priority Mail over the years to mail the clients and it is excellent. Although I am not saying this about your clients, sometimes you can't believe everything that a client says. During this tax season a client texted me on a Friday and claimed she did not get her tax returns. I checked on USPS online and it was delivered in her mailbox on Tuesday. I sent this information back to her via text. She replied: "I just found it in the mailbox". Yeah right it sat there from Tuesday to Friday and she never checked her mail. She just wanted me to call her back so she could pump some more free information out of me. 

[AmyRose]

Thank you!

[PATAX]

You're welcome