this is why i shouldn't be a manager

January 31, 2006 3:29 PM

tax idiot filter: I need to get some things postmarked today. It's 6:30pm where I am.

My boss left me to deal with the accountant and our tax forms. They are here with me, but they need to go to some of our former employees. And the tax man. How can I find a contract location that will get this postmarked like I need?

Also appreciated would be some calming words to use tomorrow when he signs the forms and writes the checks and realizes that there will be a penalty. (what will that penalty be?)

posted by bilabial to Work & Money (13 answers total)

I'm not sure if this will work for you, but you can go to the US Post Office site and create a Priority Mail label. This should contain today's date (I'm assuming it rolls over at midnight). Another idea is to call around for a Kinko's... they might have a postage meter.
posted by chef_boyardee at 3:33 PM on January 31, 2006

And when I had my own meter several months ago it would have been no big deal to print a label with the current date all the way up to midnight. Technically you're supposed to put a zero-postage meter label for the next day when you mail it the next day, but quite often they don't care; the only time it's been an issue is if I've handed it to a clerk.
posted by chef_boyardee at 3:35 PM on January 31, 2006

It looks like you're near Tampa.

The Tampa post office (5201 W Spruce ST, Tampa, FL 33630-500), is open 24 hours a day.
posted by Laen at 3:36 PM on January 31, 2006

There's one in St. Petersburg open until 7pm.
posted by fionab at 3:40 PM on January 31, 2006

laen, 24 hours as in, there are people there 24 hours and they will smile and take my mail and postmark it? Or as in they have an automated kiosk? I just went up the road about 30 seconds to the automated kiosk for the employee stuff. The office next door to me just hooked me up with their super cheery postal employee patient who told me I can take it to the Manasota Processing Plant until 8 or 9 and get a postmark. Now, I just have to call my boss and give him the choice of coming back to sign the stuff for the tax man now, or waiting till tomorrow.
posted by bilabial at 4:12 PM on January 31, 2006

Oh, and St. Pete is about 1/2 hour to an hour away, so that's a bit too far up the creek for me.
posted by bilabial at 4:12 PM on January 31, 2006

OK, so the manasota processing plant closes at 8 or 9. how can i find out for sure? google fails me. if it's 8, I'm screwed, if it's nine everything is fine. my boss will be here in 15 minutes to sign and make checks. but that will leave me only 15 minutes to go 11.6 miles, which google maps says is 23 minutes. and I drive like a grandma.
posted by bilabial at 4:31 PM on January 31, 2006

The airport post office is 24/7.
posted by 6:1 at 5:33 PM on January 31, 2006

Just go to your nearest 24 hour kinkos (or similar service). They will gladly weigh your postage, collect postage and print out a label (postmarked with the exact date and time) to stick onto the envelope on the spot.

Back in the day I used this to send out college applications at the very latest moment.

12 Kinkos locations near Tampa, FL
posted by blindcarboncopy at 5:59 PM on January 31, 2006

That airport in Tampa is definitely 24/7- I remember having a discussion with an employee there about how it's one of the busiest post offices in the whole country...
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:39 PM on January 31, 2006

I once used USPS's online post office locator tool to find a late night post office. It turns out the "post office" was some huge sorting facility in an industrial area. Since there was no office or retail area, I just hung out at the loading dock and waited. A few minutes later I encountered a postal worker and explained my predicament. He gladly took my letter and tossed into the appropriate bin. So don't give up if you find yourself outside some warehouse at 11pm.
posted by ryanrs at 7:18 PM on January 31, 2006

So, here is what I did. I went to the Kinko's nearest my work (which is the only 24 hour one in town) and I filled out the FedEx forms because they don't do anything with postmarks at this location. Then took it all up to the surly guy at the counter who crossed out all the 1/31/06 lines and put 2/1/06 (because it wouldn't get picked up by FedEx till today) and charged me $15 an envelope. But I got a receipt that says I was at a mailing location on 1/31/06, so it will count as timely mailed so timely filed, according to the IRS FAQ that I found. And generally, that's enough for me. Especially since it should get there by friday, and all the stuff that was mailed in the real(er) right time will still be trickling in then.

My boss came back and wrote the checks and was very nice about it. He said "Last year the accountant came in and did all this stuff with me, I don't know why he mailed it in ( thank god I saved the envelope it came in) and then didn't call or come by." So this isn't entirely my fault and I didn't have to go to Tampa. I couldn't find the mail processing plant on Tallevast, but I think I may go out there after work this evening while there is still some light and see if I can find it. You know, for next time.

Thanks everybody.
posted by bilabial at 6:21 AM on February 1, 2006

Oh, and the postage meter, I'm totally voting for one of those now. The office next door has one and I could have used it (because they're nice people) BUT they only had a nickel left on it and their manager was out so it couldn't be refilled with new postage.
posted by bilabial at 6:26 AM on February 1, 2006