Tax Update Blog: Permalink
« Previous · Tax Update Blog Home · Next »
IF YOU AREN'T E-FILING, USE CERTIFIED MAIL
April 14, 2006
The Des Moines Reg1ster today recounts the sad story of the Langes, a West Des Moines couple who learned about certified mail the hard way - by losing a $7,685 refund forever. We covered this sad tale here.
The Langes lost their refund because they were unable to show they had filed for it on time - even though their accountant's records supported their claim.
There are two surefire ways to make sure you can prove you filed on time: electronic filing and certified mail.
When you file electronically, the transmitter gets an acknowledgement your return has been accepted. I'm aware of no case where the IRS has questioned the timeliness of an electronic filing.
If you file on paper, the $4.25 extra you have to spend on your certified mail receipt is well-spent. Be sure to take your package to the post office, where the postal clerk will hand-postmark your certified mail receipt, sending you away with a mighty weapon if you ever need to prove you filed on time.
Certified mail is one of our favorite topics:
CERTIFIED MAIL: HOW SAVING $4.25 CAN TURN OUT TO BE VERY EXPENSIVE
CERTIFIED MAIL GOOD. POSTAGE METER BAD.
CERTIFIED MAIL: THE HIDE YOU SAVE MAY BE YOUR OWN
• Down to the Wire Bookmark: del.icio.us • Digg • reddit
Tax Updates
Subscribe to Tax Updates
The items included in the Tax Update Blog are informational only and are not meant as tax advice. Consult with your tax advisor to determine how any item applies to your situation.
Joe Kristan writes the Tax Update items, and any opinions expressed or implied are not neccesarily shared by anyone else at Roth & Company, P.C. Address questions or comments on Tax Updates to
Search Tax Updates
Friends and Neighbors
Economics Nerds
Hard-Core Tax Nerds
Gigablogs
Insurance Folk
Goners
Legislation
Tax Update Data Feeds
