I Think The US Mail Lost My Tax Return - How Do I Find Out?

February 27, 2008 2:12 PM

I sent out my taxes (for the first time MONTHS early) and sent them Certified Mail (upon the recommendation of an accountant) for the first time as well. I got the little green card back for the State Taxes but I never got one for my Federal Taxes. Does this mean that my Federal Tax return was lost in the mail? How do I go about verifying if my tax return was lost? Can I send them a copy? What do I do?
posted by starsixnine00 to Grab Bag (15 answers total)

Best answer: go to the irs website and find the "check my refund" page. If i remember correctly from past years, it will tell if your return is being processed. Keep in mind, it won't say this the first day they get it, so you may have to wait a couple weeks. I also believe you can find a number to call with an automated service that will give you the same info. You will need your social security number and the amount of your refund.
posted by domino at 2:17 PM on February 27, 2008

Did you keep the tracking number? If so, you can enter it here and see where the package is.
posted by chiababe at 2:17 PM on February 27, 2008

Do you have the green certified mail stub for your Federal taxes? Look up the 16 digit tracking number from it on usps.com and that'll tell you the status. (I actually just did this today for a piece of certified mail that we haven't gotten the receipt on.)
posted by greenland at 2:18 PM on February 27, 2008

Many large financial organizations automate mail processing (like the one I work for) and never send return receipts.
posted by synaesthetichaze at 3:03 PM on February 27, 2008

Starsixnine00, certified mail != delivery confirmation, so I'm a little confused. Did you send the returns both as certified mail and with delivery confirmation ("return receipt" in USPS parlance)? If so, you say that you got the delivery confirmation back for the state ones but not the federal ones, but again, the two services aren't necessarily tied together -- certified proves that you mailed a certain article at a given date and time and allows you to use USPS's website to see delivery confirmation; "return receipt" causes the green card to be mailed back to you with confirmation of the delivery. I'd follow chiababe's advice and check the certified mail website to see if the federal returns were delivered.

(And synaesthetichaze, how do you "never send return receipts"? I wasn't aware it was in your control -- I thought that USPS return receipts were something that the USPS delivery person handled, by having you sign it on receipt and then returning it to the sender. How are you able to avoid this?)
posted by delfuego at 4:10 PM on February 27, 2008

I work for an accounting firm. The IRS most definitely does send back return receipts. As delfuego said, they don't have a choice in the matter - the USPS handles it. Some lucky soul at the IRS has a stamp that they use as a signature on them. Has your refund arrived/have they cashed your check? (don't know if you had to pay in or not) If either has occurred, you're fine. If not, go through the USPS first using the certified mail number on your receipt. If USPS says they delivered it, call the IRS. And yeah, you can send a copy if push comes to shove but that would be only if you talked to an IRS agent and they said they never got it and the USPS said they delivered it. (in other words your very very very last resort! Two returns could confuse them worse. :) ) Don't sweat it, really. You have plenty of time yet and for some reason IRS return receipts always take a lot longer to come back than states.
posted by CwgrlUp at 4:28 PM on February 27, 2008

Can I ask a derail - you have to fill out separate State and Federal taxes? and this is standard/common?
posted by wilful at 5:30 PM on February 27, 2008

How are you able to avoid this?

I have no idea, I just know that this is true. Possibly because the address that people mail to is a unique zip code with no street address associated with it; certain other addresses are PO Boxes, which I believe the USPS doesn't send return receipts for either. I am a unix admin, not a mail services type, so I do not understand the details.

you have to fill out separate State and Federal taxes? and this is standard/common?

Yes, and Americans even have to fill out Local taxes for their municipality/borough/city/whatever.
posted by synaesthetichaze at 5:39 PM on February 27, 2008

The IRS most definitely does send back return receipts.

Ah, I was hoping someone would confirm or deny that... thanks CwgrlUp.
posted by synaesthetichaze at 5:40 PM on February 27, 2008

Can I ask a derail - you have to fill out separate State and Federal taxes? and this is standard/common?

Very dependent upon the state in question. Some states don't levy income taxes at all.
posted by GPF at 5:52 PM on February 27, 2008

Gosh. That sounds damned inconvenient.
posted by wilful at 10:00 PM on February 27, 2008

An antipodean friend asks:
Can I ask a derail - you have to fill out separate State and Federal taxes? and this is standard/common?

Basically, yes. But as noted not all states have an income tax; it's entirely up to the state government to decide to have one. Generally if not they collect similar amounts of revenue by other means.

In a few situations you can be required to pay state income taxes to two states -- say if you work in New York but live in New Jersey. But many states have "compacts" that allow you to pay only one state, or at the very least pay both states apportioned amounts. Again, entirely up to the states involved.

Yes, and Americans even have to fill out Local taxes for their municipality/borough/city/whatever.

Very few entities below the state level actually levy an income tax, and generally when they do it's collected by the state, so it's just a matter of filling in another line on a form. Most local entities are funded by oroperty and sales taxes. The US, notably, has no VAT equivalent.

(Hopefully this is now a reasonably complete answer to the derail.)
posted by dhartung at 10:04 PM on February 27, 2008

Response by poster: Ok. I took domino's advice and went to the IRS website, it looks like they got everything and I can expect a refund soon. Thank you for all your help. I never knew that you could check on the status of a refund. I was bracing myself for a never ending miserable telephone call through gazillions of prompts and unhelpful people to see if the IRS received my tax return. However, I still never got my Return Receipt Requested (green card) back from the IRS. I suppose it doesn't really matter at this point as I'm certain it was received by the IRS. I guess things really can get lost in the mail (it hasn't actually ever happened to me before).

And yes, if you live in one state and work in another, you have to file 2 sets of state income tax and a federal income tax.

To take that even further, some cities and municipalities have their own that you have to file as well... Imagine living in 1 state, working in another in a city/municipality with its own tax return (ie Yonkers, NY)... that would be 4 tax returns to prepare and file. Ay!!

Anyway, thank you Me-fites for all the suggestions and help.
posted by starsixnine00 at 6:39 AM on February 28, 2008

I have no idea, I just know that this is true.

No, it's not. You can't receive the mail and stop the return receipt from being sent.
posted by oaf at 12:25 PM on February 28, 2008

You are probably right, oaf. I should stick to answering unix-related questions, since I am obviously out of my depth on this subject (see above where I am proven wrong about State taxes too). I was 100% sure of the fact before this thread, but reading a little more on return receipts elsewhere, I don't doubt that I'm wrong.

I am glad the Asker got some good advice, despite my answers!
posted by synaesthetichaze at 4:05 PM on February 28, 2008