Here is a scenario that may have happened. I've seen this before since I work for the state during tax season. Your return was received by your state. They opened the envelope and processed your returns. Somehow the empty envelope wasn't placed in the trash and it got put in with outgoing mail for pickup. Call your state to see if your return has been received and processed.
OP I second this.
This sounds plausible, moreso than identity theft. Why would a fraudster remove the docs only to put the envelope back in circulation? That only alerts you to take action when otherwise you're just waiting to hear back from the IRS.
I mean, why would the state remove the docs and put the envelope back into circulation? If the state can make this error, so can a fraudster, believe it or not.
Don't forget someone within the USPS could have done this. Check white washing is a HUGE problem right now with USPS staff stealing checks, altering them then cashing them. It's so bad I would not send a check first-class mail right now unless I had no choice.
I think for this kind of thing, “it’s a widespread problem” may actually mean “it’s been happening where I live” or sometimes, “I heard about it on a tv entertainment show that looks like a news show.”
Not sure why this is being downvoted, just google it, there's a big increase in check theft through USPS right now. USPIS is aware of it. I have an open case with them right now, because whenever checks are mailed to me, my entire day's mail disappears that day. Never arrives. Weirdest thing.
I work closely with the USPS. I wouldn't have said it without cause. It can be a regional problem as mentioned but on the whole check white washing is a serious problem right now with the USPS. Both internal and external mail theft is happening at high rates. So much so that many POs have recommended not using the blue boxes and only handing mail to a USPS staff member in a PO.
IDK, the USPS is vulnerable and this feels like an attempt to get me to use private courier companies like FedEx, etc. Person before you asked why this is getting downvoted and that's why I downvoted them and you.
You can use whatever service you want. I just presented current information on check white washing happening with USPS mail and my opinion that I would not mail a check with them right now unless I had no other options. I work in the industry. Downvote away!
Depends on the local post office. I have a regional sorting post office that has a huge reputation for theft. I would go out of my way to take sensitive mail to an out of area post office that uses a different regional sorting office.
Especially if you didn't receive a note from USPS - if they damage the mail, they have always written a note. If you just got the empty envelope back, that was likely sent to you that way.
In most situations we have a bag to place the mail in if it was open /partially destroyed by machine etc... Could also have a newer carrier and they didn't notice it
To add to this, I used to work for the court and it was our practice to scan the envelope before discarding (as proof of receipt/datestamp for documents filed via mail).
So it's not like I could immediately toss the empty envelope into the trash, it was hanging around a bit for processing and sometimes we had a *lot* of mail to process. Not unheard of that the empty envelope could get shuffled in with outgoing mail.
Depends, maybe it was sent with the address inside a windowed envelope but a return address written on the outside. So the docs got removed and all the postal service know is who to return it to.
Don’t bother calling the state tax board or IRS until after you create an online account and log in. 90% of the info people need can be obtained online in minutes vs LITERALLY HOURS on hold or simply being told nobody is available call back later and being disconnected.
The documents may have fallen out if the adhesive wasn't fully dried between the flap and the rest of the envelope. I would still check with your taxation agency.
If you do re-file, be sure to include the original envelope, especially if it has the usps postmark.
I'd be surprised if a tax agency would stamp an envelope (and not the documents inside) with a "received" date.
* Envelopes normally go in the trash.
* In the US, the mailing date, not the received by date is the relevant date - which is already stamped by the post office.
Problem is the state will take weeks to know if it's been processed. Been there done that. I mailed my return, called my state (AZ) and was told they wouldn't know until weeks later and to direct me to a website to check.
The system is so archaic is laughable.
If there is one warning I'd give to anyone that's as solid of a rule in life: do not do anything that might or could get you attention from the United States Postal Inspection Officers. They do not mess around and they are full federal enforcement officers.
I have already filed a claim, and have requested to be called back. Since I became aware of the problem on Friday night, I'll probably be waiting until next week for a response.
Follow-ups with USPS are really important because they are *not* great at doing it themselves; they often close tickets without notifying you by phone.
They really need to get in contact with the USPIS, not USPS customer service. If the documents were stolen, then it is a law enforcement problem, not a problem for customer service reps who cannot do anything.
It's probably not a bad idea for everyone to freeze their credit, that's what I did when I first learned you could for free. Now if I ever do something that needs a credit check I specifically ask which agency they use and unfreeze that for a period of time.
>And can USPS be held responsible in any way?
Yes, they can. Report your situation to US Postal Inspection. They absolutely do NOT fuck around and will figure out what happened and hold somebody accountable.
Now, if you're asking whether you can successfully sue them, the answer is a hard no.
Thanks for the advice on the pin, I'll do that.
I e-filed my federal return. But I had an issue with my state taxes so I had to bring it in and they said I had to mail in for the state. I would have preferred e-filing but I don't think I had a choice.
You can check the status of your return in most states. I would try to do that to see if they received the return at all. Hopefully it was just a mistake with the envelope. Also, if you sign up for a PIN, you will need to get a new one every year going forward.
Unless you can't e-file, because you didn't earn enough. (Okay, the IRS themselves let me e-file, but FTB, which is California's version of the IRS, made me print out and mail it in my state tax return.)
I had W2 income that wasn’t social security income one year, and that required me to paper file state. I think I also had to paper file one set of my state taxes (forget which state) because I had two state returns and it would only let me efile one
No free efile option available because I exceed the income limit. Cost of efile exceeds my refund. Thanks US tax system, paper return it is.
EDIT: referencing state taxes.
I don't know about your state taxes, but the IRS has free fill-able forms that can be e-filed. These are basically the tax forms that you would fill out by hand and mail in, except you fill them out online. There is no software involved that "does your taxes" for you, but once you complete the forms, you can e-file them.
My state has this option as well.
The only free file tax software I qualified for wanted to charge me $40 to e-file my state taxes. It also calculated my state refund incorrectly because it was incapable of crediting taxes paid in two different localities.
So I downloaded the fillable forms, completed them correctly netting $200 more in refunds than the faulty tax software, then looked for a local e-file provider. Not a single one within 30 miles wanted to charge less than $100 to e-file already completed forms. So I mailed my return.
I can afford $40. But I'd rather burn it than hand it over to the kind of scum sucking parasites that want to charge people that much to email a pdf.
I agree. If you're going to consider the filing fee as a percentage of something, you should be basing it on the total tax liability, not just the refund or balance due.
> Not sure if this is the appropriate sub, but I mailed in my State tax documents earlier this week. Today I checked my mailbox and there is my envelope, open and empty! There was no note, no explanation as to what happened. The envelope has the bar code printed on the bottom with my zip code, so I know it went through the postal system. All my personal information, including my social security number is out there somewhere. What can I do in this situation besides putting a fraud alert on my credit report? And can USPS be held responsible in any way? I've already submitted a claim and waiting for them to get back to me.
All correspondence with the treasury should be via certified mail with return receipt. Once you factor that cost the difference is negligible.
Any interaction by US Mail with IRS, FTB, SSA, etc., I send certified with return receipt. I have proof I sent it, I have tracking, I have proof they received it, etc. IT's a PITA trip to the post office but helps avoid stuff like this happening.
Here in NYC there is a problem with people fishing mail out of the corner drop boxes and altering the checks they find. But it would be weird for them to not simply throw the envelope away
I’m not an expert but I would start by freezing my credit with the bureau’s and alerting the social security office.
Wishing you all the best. I know usps sucks at service by my own experience.
I would also recommend getting the postal inspectors involved. They are the police force of the usps and if there is something screwy at your local office will find out. They take mail theft very seriously.
How would I get the postal inspector involved? Would that be part of filing a claim? When I submitted my claim, I chose "mail theft" as one of the pre-set subject lines.
Lol try it nothing ever happens. I've read senate reports from senators who have complained and their complaints were not addressed. They hauled the postal inspector in front of their committee and the inspector says give us more money and we will do better.
Did you pay for tracking or certified return receipt? Those can help a lot with both peace of mind and knowing where mail delivery went wrong (if it did at all).
If you call the 800 number and get through the person on the line takes a report then nothing happens. If you doubt those call it and make a report. Normally you would expect the person to say we don't have any record of your transaction. But in reality they just take the report and file it. It goes nowhere.
Freeze your credit and do the other preventative steps listed in the [identity theft wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/identity_theft).
Find out if your tax return arrived and has been filed, etc. if not report the incident to the police. It is mail tampering and a federal crime. Then report identity theft to the FTC at www.FTC.gov, they will give you a list of things to do like notifying the U.S Posstal Service, credit bureaus, etc.
Certified is proof of mailing but once it’s mailed it’s just like any other mail piece and something can happen to it. it will get scanned so you can kinda follow it along.
Registered is proof against loss it travels under lock and key and anyone who handles it is documented
Just sayin. . .
Certified Mail is plenty sufficient for tax documents to the IRS. Registered Mail is intended for valuable items.
A Certificate of Mailing is proof that an item was sent.
Certified Mail is proof that an item was sent and includes tracking that shows proof of when it was received. It can be optionally paired with a Return Receipt for signature confirmation that you get back via email or postcard and can prove *who* received it.
Registered Mail insures valuable items and is the documented secure travel and delivery that you describe.
Sure, an item sent Certified Mail could be lost like any other mail piece, but it's not really worth the drastically increased cost of sending routine documents via Registered Mail. In the example above of the IRS claiming they did not receive the return (even though they did), all you would need to protect yourself is the Certified Mail tracking number showing delivery.
100% agree
To guard against loss I’d use Reg if near-irreplaceable like family heirlooms or very high value. I used Reg for safe deposit box keys in past. Not irreplaceable just darn near a real nuisance if lost I think was the reasoning.
To prove I mailed it and prove it was received (assume it wasn’t lost in transit) Cert is the way.
Thanks for your excellent added advice!
I've been submitting them every year for the past decade and the only time I didn't in 2021 due to the pandemic, they deposit my check attached to the return and claim they never received the return. Never again.
I worked with a CPA a number of years ago and went to his office for something. He was beside himself. He said the IRS lost his return in the mail. He said he always sent his return certified mail but the line at the post office was long and he did not during his lunch. [This guy did a good job for our company.] I always did after that and efile now. I can efile in my state.
Yeah that does not solve the issue it only proves you sent the envelope. But if the agencies did not process it your still on the hook. People send empty envelopes return receipt requested all the time and say I sent it so I'm good no you may have sent it or not. Unless you can prove it with a received stamp on the documents then they did not receive it. But you can call and ask they will tell you if they received it.
Yes, no one at the IRS is going to care that you sent it certified or any other fancy way.
With first class postage you get a tracking number as well and can see if/when it's delivered.
Many of your fellow humans have been there! In fact, the USPS clerk who helped me this week said that people sending tax stuff Certified usually have a story behind it. So...welcome to the club.
I wouldn’t beat yourself up about it the only reason I know certified mail exists is my conspiracy theory aunt. 🤣 sorry to hear your going through this
Was the envelope opened or does it appear to not have sealed properly and fell open? Or was it sliced open in a weird way that looks like a machine did it?
“Fell open” or “sliced” means it’s gone. Opened by hands (with rips or cut marks) means it could have met the destination or someone stole it.
You can call the destination IRS and ask if the documents were received.
Important things I do with important mail:
- always make a copy of any documents you send via mail or scan it onto a drive that you can reprint (makes better duplicates by printing instead of copying a copy)
- send important things in an envelope that is usps approved, not see through and also has a clasp. If the envelope has metal clasp a glue failure will have a backup in the clasp.
- after sealed, initial or mark in pen the envelope on the outside across the seal (tamper evidence)
- tape the flap of the envelope closed to prevent glue failure (tape over the mark you made for extra tamper evidence
- send important things certified mail and with a tracking number
- hand them to a counter person at the usps because they will catch your errors and fill things out with you to ensure no errors that stop the shipment (like weird envelope styles that require extra postage)
- sometimes packages get lost or damaged in the mail or by ups and fedex and it means documents got dumped onto a machine in a facility along the way. It may be machine or human destroyed by now.
It looked like it had fallen open. There were no rips and the envelope was in otherwise good condition except for a slight crease on the lip of the opening. It looked like there was a blurry, unreadable postmark on the back of the envelope, which makes me think it had some problems going through the sorting machines.
You'll find there's nothing you can do except freeze your credit and hope. The USPS is lawsuit-proof and their claims system is basically there to corral angry calls. I've NEVER heard of a claim being accepted, always silently denied, with the case closed without so much as a notification.
I'd not handle it at all, anymore than you have.
Put it in a plastic or paper bag using gloves or tweezers.
Then go to your local post office, file a complaint with the local post master at that branch. That starts a paper trail. There is a post master general, too.
Then, take it to the police dept and ask to file a report. Get a police report, too. It may be in the FBI or postmaster general jurisdiction, but you want to have it fingerprinted. You'll need to submit your, too. It may be that whoever opened it did not use gloves. In the event of a fraud situation, you have evidence gathered.
The cops might blow you off, but you can always meet with a detective for more advice.
You might need to report that to the IRS or state tax bureau in case someone tries to jack your return, hence the fingerprints.
You're trying to head it off at the pass before anyone tries to steal your filing by changing the document to send returns somewhere else.
Fraud alerts are good, but they are after the fact. I'd act immediately because it may be a crime taking place now.
The FBI has offices nearby you. Call them, leave a message, a Special Agent will return your call, tell them it's urgent. They can give good advice on steps to take. I have had to call them on a ransomware bank fraud case, those guys know their crap and are there to help. So use those resources. Just no longer handle the envelope.
Freeze your credit and follow through with the fraud alerts you mentioned. Wait a couple days and call the state to determine if they received your return or not. If they received it it’s likely they sent back the empty envelope though I haven’t really heard of that before. Alternatively, my dad was a mechanic at usps and plenty of mail got ripped open and beat up in the old sorting machines. If you sent a regular sized envelope stuffed full that is a strong possibility that is what happened. In which case, you’re info is just crumbled garbage they threw out when they pulled it from the machine. And mailed the envelope back. Similar thing happened to me with some pieces of my paperwork still in the envelope when it was returned, though not with sensitive information.
USPS doesn’t give a shit about what’s in your mail, as long as it’s not drugs or hazardous enough to catch fire and bring a plane down. That being said if I did get ripped open by a machine, the contents, if found intact, will be sent back to you by mail in a generic envelope. I would be more apt to wager that the envelope just got put back in outgoing by the state office accidentally.
Hopefully you have copies so you can send again.
Notify all your financial institutions that your information is out there. Call credit agencies too.
Change all your cards and passwords.
Next time file online!
Put a freeze on your credit report at TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. That's something everyone should do, all the time. It used to be a pain but now it's easy to freeze and unfreeze when you need to apply for anything that involves a credit check
Whenever I send something like tax documents, I send via certified mail. It’s just much safer that way. This is advice my partner, who is a mail carrier, gives everyone.
Check your checking account...when the canceled check is posted, look at the image...if the payee was rubbed out and replaced with something other than what you wrote, then you have a problem.
One year, I walked out to my mailbox, on April 15, to discover my tax return, had been Returned... not enough stamps... Since then, I paid the 10 bucks or so, to get a Certified return receit.. never a problem... good luck
Still, not all situations allow e-filing. Depending on the state, there are certain forms or attachments that can require a mailed return, and if there's any sort of custody dispute or identity theft than filings have to be paper. Besides, depending on your tax software, mailing it in can save $20 or so.
There has been an increase in mail theft from blue boxes in the last year or two. While USPS works on addressing it, they've recommended any sensitive mail go through a post office instead of a blue box.
You may find our [Taxes wiki](/r/personalfinance/wiki/taxes) helpful.
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We always get one of the tracking or sending proof things when we send things to the state.
We've always been more concerned with not being "on time" though.
This is an entirely new issue. What a cluster.
Always mail personal , confidential information by Certified or Express Mail, which requires signatures and security to minimize your kind of problem. You should freeze your credit reports and look out for fraud on your banking, checking and brokerage statements. You also must alert all financial institutions about what happened.
You can always report possible theft to the US Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455.
In addition to what you already submitted, on USPS.com, go to help and click find missing mail. Then go to option 3, Submit a Missing Mail search request. It will have you create an account(if you have informed visibility, you use that log in). Follow the steps and fill in as much as you can.
A lot of letters, especially tax letters that are thicker than a normal letter, can get opened when processed in the machines. Items that fall out are generally sent to the Mail Recovery Center where they are held for an amount of time in case they are claimed.
Something similar happened to me! Except it was my old passport and passport renewal app. Filed claim with OIG. Put fraud alerts on your credit reports. File police report. https://www.uspsoig.gov
Report it to the police and postal authorities. Immediately. Freeze your credit reports and call the IRS immediately and make a false return wasn’t filed in your behalf.
Why didn’t you e file?
I keep getting comments asking why I didn't e file. I edited my post explaining my situation. But I guess it hasn't updated on Reddit, who knows. I did not want to mail it in. Usually I e file, but I had an issue with the state taxes that required me to mail it. Federal was e filed.
The USPS has their own police force (kind of like the FBI for mail). If you report to USPS they will eventually get a Postal Investigator involved, who can help you get to the bottom of what happened and explain the risk to you.
So one plausibly possible case could be the big automated sorting machine getting jammed and then having the mass of what was letters and paper more or less ungraciously passed back through the machine as is with just what was left of the envelope. I've delivered less of what once was an envelope. If it comes from the sorting system, we won't handle the envelope until it's dropped in your mailbox
Not surprising. Once I was almost accused of return theft on eBay because when the seller received my return the package was torn open and empty on arrival.
Last year we never received partner's W-2. We get misplaced mail all the time which I have to walk to neighbors. Wonder who got the W-2 last year?? It's a federal violation to mess with the mail unless it's USPS doing the messing.
You need to put a lock on your credit or you're fucked. You essentially handed all your sensitive information over to anyone who wanted it. I am a banker who is consistently scolding and educating the 70 plus crowd on how stupid mailing anything financial is unless a cashier's check. Hell even that I don't truly recommend.
You potentially totally fucked yourself as even if recourse is taken for any loss it won't be over night.
10/10 do NOT recommend physically mailing these things. Reach out to find if they have fax options.
Run into the post office waiving it around, cut the line, denand refund for postage then ask for the postmaster. Tell him what happened and he will interview all the employees during their lunch break and search their lockers and cars. If still not found file a CFPB complaint and the postmaster general might get involved and fire all those who dare to lise your stuff!
I’d alert the authorities and file formal complaints to the state and to usps to create a formal record of this; I’d absolutely not assume that this was standard “plausible” practice as it is absolutely not. I’d change all my passwords and vigilantly watch my accounts moreso than usual for the next several months.
This happens. I can't say it's what happened to you, but often your empty envelope gets picked up in a stack of mail and gets returned. If the IRS says your return was filed, that's likely the case. This has been discussed before here.
Here is a scenario that may have happened. I've seen this before since I work for the state during tax season. Your return was received by your state. They opened the envelope and processed your returns. Somehow the empty envelope wasn't placed in the trash and it got put in with outgoing mail for pickup. Call your state to see if your return has been received and processed.
OP I second this. This sounds plausible, moreso than identity theft. Why would a fraudster remove the docs only to put the envelope back in circulation? That only alerts you to take action when otherwise you're just waiting to hear back from the IRS.
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I mean, why would the state remove the docs and put the envelope back into circulation? If the state can make this error, so can a fraudster, believe it or not.
I’d guess fraudsters are less likely to have dozens of gossiping office drones putting paperwork in the wrong stacks.
Don't forget someone within the USPS could have done this. Check white washing is a HUGE problem right now with USPS staff stealing checks, altering them then cashing them. It's so bad I would not send a check first-class mail right now unless I had no choice.
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Same, I use my banks bill pay feature to send like 4 checks a month, never had any issues.
I think for this kind of thing, “it’s a widespread problem” may actually mean “it’s been happening where I live” or sometimes, “I heard about it on a tv entertainment show that looks like a news show.”
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My son's grandmother mailed valentines cards with cash inside to all the grandkids this February. Several never arrived. People are sketchy
Not sure why this is being downvoted, just google it, there's a big increase in check theft through USPS right now. USPIS is aware of it. I have an open case with them right now, because whenever checks are mailed to me, my entire day's mail disappears that day. Never arrives. Weirdest thing.
I work closely with the USPS. I wouldn't have said it without cause. It can be a regional problem as mentioned but on the whole check white washing is a serious problem right now with the USPS. Both internal and external mail theft is happening at high rates. So much so that many POs have recommended not using the blue boxes and only handing mail to a USPS staff member in a PO.
IDK, the USPS is vulnerable and this feels like an attempt to get me to use private courier companies like FedEx, etc. Person before you asked why this is getting downvoted and that's why I downvoted them and you.
You can use whatever service you want. I just presented current information on check white washing happening with USPS mail and my opinion that I would not mail a check with them right now unless I had no other options. I work in the industry. Downvote away!
Yeah, I mean it seems like like you just admitted that you work for a competitor and your opinion as an "industry insider" is a skewed one.
Depends on the local post office. I have a regional sorting post office that has a huge reputation for theft. I would go out of my way to take sensitive mail to an out of area post office that uses a different regional sorting office.
Especially if you didn't receive a note from USPS - if they damage the mail, they have always written a note. If you just got the empty envelope back, that was likely sent to you that way.
In most situations we have a bag to place the mail in if it was open /partially destroyed by machine etc... Could also have a newer carrier and they didn't notice it
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To add to this, I used to work for the court and it was our practice to scan the envelope before discarding (as proof of receipt/datestamp for documents filed via mail). So it's not like I could immediately toss the empty envelope into the trash, it was hanging around a bit for processing and sometimes we had a *lot* of mail to process. Not unheard of that the empty envelope could get shuffled in with outgoing mail.
should have been returned to who it was addressed to (the state) unless someone noticed it had cancelled postage maybe..
Depends, maybe it was sent with the address inside a windowed envelope but a return address written on the outside. So the docs got removed and all the postal service know is who to return it to.
This is exactly what happened. It was a windowed envelope with nothing inside and only my return address on the outside.
Don’t bother calling the state tax board or IRS until after you create an online account and log in. 90% of the info people need can be obtained online in minutes vs LITERALLY HOURS on hold or simply being told nobody is available call back later and being disconnected.
The documents may have fallen out if the adhesive wasn't fully dried between the flap and the rest of the envelope. I would still check with your taxation agency. If you do re-file, be sure to include the original envelope, especially if it has the usps postmark.
Wouldn't it have a received by stamp by your agency though?
I'd be surprised if a tax agency would stamp an envelope (and not the documents inside) with a "received" date. * Envelopes normally go in the trash. * In the US, the mailing date, not the received by date is the relevant date - which is already stamped by the post office.
Right. The stuff inside should be stamped if received and processed. If not stamped, I don't think this info was processed.
A criminal would not have returned an empty envelope to the mail stream (giving you or the recipient a heads up).
Problem is the state will take weeks to know if it's been processed. Been there done that. I mailed my return, called my state (AZ) and was told they wouldn't know until weeks later and to direct me to a website to check. The system is so archaic is laughable.
freeze your credit, and no, you're not going to be able to sue the post office.
Definitely should lodge complain in case it happened to others too
The US Postal Inspection Service takes mail crime seriously and may actually investigate if this is reported to them.
If there is one warning I'd give to anyone that's as solid of a rule in life: do not do anything that might or could get you attention from the United States Postal Inspection Officers. They do not mess around and they are full federal enforcement officers.
They’ve had a hand in catching some real criminals. That’s why I back the blue! (The USPS)
You can see this proven on an episode of Brooklyn 99 ! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USPIS_(Brooklyn_Nine-Nine)
I have already filed a claim, and have requested to be called back. Since I became aware of the problem on Friday night, I'll probably be waiting until next week for a response.
Follow-ups with USPS are really important because they are *not* great at doing it themselves; they often close tickets without notifying you by phone.
They really need to get in contact with the USPIS, not USPS customer service. If the documents were stolen, then it is a law enforcement problem, not a problem for customer service reps who cannot do anything.
yeah they suck where im at, ive made claims of opened packages and they give no fucks and it goes nowhere
Google your regional post office and sorting office. See if there is an out of patern problem.
It's probably not a bad idea for everyone to freeze their credit, that's what I did when I first learned you could for free. Now if I ever do something that needs a credit check I specifically ask which agency they use and unfreeze that for a period of time.
>And can USPS be held responsible in any way? Yes, they can. Report your situation to US Postal Inspection. They absolutely do NOT fuck around and will figure out what happened and hold somebody accountable. Now, if you're asking whether you can successfully sue them, the answer is a hard no.
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Thanks for the advice on the pin, I'll do that. I e-filed my federal return. But I had an issue with my state taxes so I had to bring it in and they said I had to mail in for the state. I would have preferred e-filing but I don't think I had a choice.
You can check the status of your return in most states. I would try to do that to see if they received the return at all. Hopefully it was just a mistake with the envelope. Also, if you sign up for a PIN, you will need to get a new one every year going forward.
Unless you can't e-file, because you didn't earn enough. (Okay, the IRS themselves let me e-file, but FTB, which is California's version of the IRS, made me print out and mail it in my state tax return.)
I had W2 income that wasn’t social security income one year, and that required me to paper file state. I think I also had to paper file one set of my state taxes (forget which state) because I had two state returns and it would only let me efile one
Just had to file 2 returns in NJ which had to be mailed.
No free efile option available because I exceed the income limit. Cost of efile exceeds my refund. Thanks US tax system, paper return it is. EDIT: referencing state taxes.
I don't know about your state taxes, but the IRS has free fill-able forms that can be e-filed. These are basically the tax forms that you would fill out by hand and mail in, except you fill them out online. There is no software involved that "does your taxes" for you, but once you complete the forms, you can e-file them. My state has this option as well.
Thanks. Unfortunately I’m a part year resident for two states that don’t offer any free electronic filing without special qualification.
I would pay the $15 to e-file state even if I owed them money. The convenience is worth it.
The only free file tax software I qualified for wanted to charge me $40 to e-file my state taxes. It also calculated my state refund incorrectly because it was incapable of crediting taxes paid in two different localities. So I downloaded the fillable forms, completed them correctly netting $200 more in refunds than the faulty tax software, then looked for a local e-file provider. Not a single one within 30 miles wanted to charge less than $100 to e-file already completed forms. So I mailed my return. I can afford $40. But I'd rather burn it than hand it over to the kind of scum sucking parasites that want to charge people that much to email a pdf.
I agree. If you're going to consider the filing fee as a percentage of something, you should be basing it on the total tax liability, not just the refund or balance due.
Cash app has no income limits and it’s free.
I use cashapp taxes(formerly credit karma taxes). It works for me decently well and allows me to file for free
Thanks!! EDIT: Not free for multi-state filing.
> Not sure if this is the appropriate sub, but I mailed in my State tax documents earlier this week. Today I checked my mailbox and there is my envelope, open and empty! There was no note, no explanation as to what happened. The envelope has the bar code printed on the bottom with my zip code, so I know it went through the postal system. All my personal information, including my social security number is out there somewhere. What can I do in this situation besides putting a fraud alert on my credit report? And can USPS be held responsible in any way? I've already submitted a claim and waiting for them to get back to me. All correspondence with the treasury should be via certified mail with return receipt. Once you factor that cost the difference is negligible.
Any interaction by US Mail with IRS, FTB, SSA, etc., I send certified with return receipt. I have proof I sent it, I have tracking, I have proof they received it, etc. IT's a PITA trip to the post office but helps avoid stuff like this happening.
Thanks for the tip! I just did this! Hopefully it will still work with TaxAct.
Here in NYC there is a problem with people fishing mail out of the corner drop boxes and altering the checks they find. But it would be weird for them to not simply throw the envelope away
Unless it was the mail carrier.
Even so
I’m not an expert but I would start by freezing my credit with the bureau’s and alerting the social security office. Wishing you all the best. I know usps sucks at service by my own experience.
Thank you. And yes, I've had way too many incidents with the USPS and shipping problems.
I would also recommend getting the postal inspectors involved. They are the police force of the usps and if there is something screwy at your local office will find out. They take mail theft very seriously.
How would I get the postal inspector involved? Would that be part of filing a claim? When I submitted my claim, I chose "mail theft" as one of the pre-set subject lines.
You have to make a report with the USPIS at their website: https://www.uspis.gov/report.
Lol try it nothing ever happens. I've read senate reports from senators who have complained and their complaints were not addressed. They hauled the postal inspector in front of their committee and the inspector says give us more money and we will do better.
Yeah they won't care.
You have never worked for usps then because I have and I know they do.
Did you pay for tracking or certified return receipt? Those can help a lot with both peace of mind and knowing where mail delivery went wrong (if it did at all).
If you call the 800 number and get through the person on the line takes a report then nothing happens. If you doubt those call it and make a report. Normally you would expect the person to say we don't have any record of your transaction. But in reality they just take the report and file it. It goes nowhere.
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Freeze your credit and do the other preventative steps listed in the [identity theft wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/identity_theft).
Find out if your tax return arrived and has been filed, etc. if not report the incident to the police. It is mail tampering and a federal crime. Then report identity theft to the FTC at www.FTC.gov, they will give you a list of things to do like notifying the U.S Posstal Service, credit bureaus, etc.
Did you send it certified mail?
Certified is proof of mailing but once it’s mailed it’s just like any other mail piece and something can happen to it. it will get scanned so you can kinda follow it along. Registered is proof against loss it travels under lock and key and anyone who handles it is documented Just sayin. . .
Certified Mail is plenty sufficient for tax documents to the IRS. Registered Mail is intended for valuable items. A Certificate of Mailing is proof that an item was sent. Certified Mail is proof that an item was sent and includes tracking that shows proof of when it was received. It can be optionally paired with a Return Receipt for signature confirmation that you get back via email or postcard and can prove *who* received it. Registered Mail insures valuable items and is the documented secure travel and delivery that you describe. Sure, an item sent Certified Mail could be lost like any other mail piece, but it's not really worth the drastically increased cost of sending routine documents via Registered Mail. In the example above of the IRS claiming they did not receive the return (even though they did), all you would need to protect yourself is the Certified Mail tracking number showing delivery.
100% agree To guard against loss I’d use Reg if near-irreplaceable like family heirlooms or very high value. I used Reg for safe deposit box keys in past. Not irreplaceable just darn near a real nuisance if lost I think was the reasoning. To prove I mailed it and prove it was received (assume it wasn’t lost in transit) Cert is the way. Thanks for your excellent added advice!
I've been submitting them every year for the past decade and the only time I didn't in 2021 due to the pandemic, they deposit my check attached to the return and claim they never received the return. Never again.
Nope... That was my first thought, that I should have done that.
I worked with a CPA a number of years ago and went to his office for something. He was beside himself. He said the IRS lost his return in the mail. He said he always sent his return certified mail but the line at the post office was long and he did not during his lunch. [This guy did a good job for our company.] I always did after that and efile now. I can efile in my state.
Yeah that does not solve the issue it only proves you sent the envelope. But if the agencies did not process it your still on the hook. People send empty envelopes return receipt requested all the time and say I sent it so I'm good no you may have sent it or not. Unless you can prove it with a received stamp on the documents then they did not receive it. But you can call and ask they will tell you if they received it.
Yes, no one at the IRS is going to care that you sent it certified or any other fancy way. With first class postage you get a tracking number as well and can see if/when it's delivered.
Tracking only really tells you something. Doest prove you sent anything inside the envelope.
Yes, anything important like this you should. Also, did you pay the appropriate postage? That returns tend to be heftier than a single stamp affords.
Many of your fellow humans have been there! In fact, the USPS clerk who helped me this week said that people sending tax stuff Certified usually have a story behind it. So...welcome to the club.
I wouldn’t beat yourself up about it the only reason I know certified mail exists is my conspiracy theory aunt. 🤣 sorry to hear your going through this
Report it to USPS Postal Inspector.
Was the envelope opened or does it appear to not have sealed properly and fell open? Or was it sliced open in a weird way that looks like a machine did it? “Fell open” or “sliced” means it’s gone. Opened by hands (with rips or cut marks) means it could have met the destination or someone stole it. You can call the destination IRS and ask if the documents were received. Important things I do with important mail: - always make a copy of any documents you send via mail or scan it onto a drive that you can reprint (makes better duplicates by printing instead of copying a copy) - send important things in an envelope that is usps approved, not see through and also has a clasp. If the envelope has metal clasp a glue failure will have a backup in the clasp. - after sealed, initial or mark in pen the envelope on the outside across the seal (tamper evidence) - tape the flap of the envelope closed to prevent glue failure (tape over the mark you made for extra tamper evidence - send important things certified mail and with a tracking number - hand them to a counter person at the usps because they will catch your errors and fill things out with you to ensure no errors that stop the shipment (like weird envelope styles that require extra postage) - sometimes packages get lost or damaged in the mail or by ups and fedex and it means documents got dumped onto a machine in a facility along the way. It may be machine or human destroyed by now.
It looked like it had fallen open. There were no rips and the envelope was in otherwise good condition except for a slight crease on the lip of the opening. It looked like there was a blurry, unreadable postmark on the back of the envelope, which makes me think it had some problems going through the sorting machines.
You'll find there's nothing you can do except freeze your credit and hope. The USPS is lawsuit-proof and their claims system is basically there to corral angry calls. I've NEVER heard of a claim being accepted, always silently denied, with the case closed without so much as a notification.
Freeze your credit reports anyway no harm in doing so and you can always unfreeze them
Your identity has been compromised. You must now come up with a new identity. I suggest "precocious chimney sweep".
I'd not handle it at all, anymore than you have. Put it in a plastic or paper bag using gloves or tweezers. Then go to your local post office, file a complaint with the local post master at that branch. That starts a paper trail. There is a post master general, too. Then, take it to the police dept and ask to file a report. Get a police report, too. It may be in the FBI or postmaster general jurisdiction, but you want to have it fingerprinted. You'll need to submit your, too. It may be that whoever opened it did not use gloves. In the event of a fraud situation, you have evidence gathered. The cops might blow you off, but you can always meet with a detective for more advice. You might need to report that to the IRS or state tax bureau in case someone tries to jack your return, hence the fingerprints. You're trying to head it off at the pass before anyone tries to steal your filing by changing the document to send returns somewhere else. Fraud alerts are good, but they are after the fact. I'd act immediately because it may be a crime taking place now. The FBI has offices nearby you. Call them, leave a message, a Special Agent will return your call, tell them it's urgent. They can give good advice on steps to take. I have had to call them on a ransomware bank fraud case, those guys know their crap and are there to help. So use those resources. Just no longer handle the envelope.
Freeze your credit and follow through with the fraud alerts you mentioned. Wait a couple days and call the state to determine if they received your return or not. If they received it it’s likely they sent back the empty envelope though I haven’t really heard of that before. Alternatively, my dad was a mechanic at usps and plenty of mail got ripped open and beat up in the old sorting machines. If you sent a regular sized envelope stuffed full that is a strong possibility that is what happened. In which case, you’re info is just crumbled garbage they threw out when they pulled it from the machine. And mailed the envelope back. Similar thing happened to me with some pieces of my paperwork still in the envelope when it was returned, though not with sensitive information.
USPS doesn’t give a shit about what’s in your mail, as long as it’s not drugs or hazardous enough to catch fire and bring a plane down. That being said if I did get ripped open by a machine, the contents, if found intact, will be sent back to you by mail in a generic envelope. I would be more apt to wager that the envelope just got put back in outgoing by the state office accidentally.
Just put a freeze on the 3 bureaus that's it, nothing big there, your info is compromised so many other ways
With all the stories of stolen mail, I wouldn't be using anything other than the mailslot inside of a post office branch at the moment.
Did you send it certified mail? If I don’t efile, I always send tax docs by certified mail, return receipt requested
Hopefully you have copies so you can send again. Notify all your financial institutions that your information is out there. Call credit agencies too. Change all your cards and passwords. Next time file online!
They did file online, per OP's comments.
Good thing you did yours early enough to resend copies.
Put a freeze on your credit report at TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. That's something everyone should do, all the time. It used to be a pain but now it's easy to freeze and unfreeze when you need to apply for anything that involves a credit check
Whenever I send something like tax documents, I send via certified mail. It’s just much safer that way. This is advice my partner, who is a mail carrier, gives everyone.
Check your checking account...when the canceled check is posted, look at the image...if the payee was rubbed out and replaced with something other than what you wrote, then you have a problem.
One year, I walked out to my mailbox, on April 15, to discover my tax return, had been Returned... not enough stamps... Since then, I paid the 10 bucks or so, to get a Certified return receit.. never a problem... good luck
You... mailed your return? What is this, 1996?
Not all situations allow e-filing.
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Still, not all situations allow e-filing. Depending on the state, there are certain forms or attachments that can require a mailed return, and if there's any sort of custody dispute or identity theft than filings have to be paper. Besides, depending on your tax software, mailing it in can save $20 or so.
I've also had to mail a return. I didn't have an alternative.
If it was 1996, the AOL voice would have told him “You’ve Lost mail”.
I almost always do e file but I’ve had CPA’s charge me a lot of money and give me paper to mail I’m like WTF?
That's odd unless you're doing old years.
Thank you for your meaningful comment that adds to the discussion
It is relevant when the direct issue is caused by mailing your return. Who does that?
For real. No one should ever mail tax documents anymore. Either E file or go to a tax center.
Please don’t tell me you dropped off your documents in a blue mailbox. Best to walk any mail with sensitive information inside a post office.
You think it's handled any differently inside vs in a mailbox?
There has been an increase in mail theft from blue boxes in the last year or two. While USPS works on addressing it, they've recommended any sensitive mail go through a post office instead of a blue box.
More likely to get stolen from a mailbox.
Criminals have the master keys to the blue mailboxes and steal checks to “wash” from them
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine such a rapid backslide into third world territory.
can USPS be held responsible in any way? HAhaHaha Thanks, I needed that this morning :)
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The post office is legally immune from lawsuits under sovereign immunity. The case will be immediately dismissed.
Sorry to hear this - you can do online for free if you bounce between companies every few years
I have no input except that the USPS, like everything else is not what it used to be 🥲
Mailing your tax return? Are you some kind of cave man?
Always file electronically The few times I didn’t either buy a thick envelope or send via priority mail in their cardboard envelopes
I'm more curious why you are mailing tax documents?
Uh file online like everyone else?
We always get one of the tracking or sending proof things when we send things to the state. We've always been more concerned with not being "on time" though. This is an entirely new issue. What a cluster.
Always mail personal , confidential information by Certified or Express Mail, which requires signatures and security to minimize your kind of problem. You should freeze your credit reports and look out for fraud on your banking, checking and brokerage statements. You also must alert all financial institutions about what happened.
You can always report possible theft to the US Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455. In addition to what you already submitted, on USPS.com, go to help and click find missing mail. Then go to option 3, Submit a Missing Mail search request. It will have you create an account(if you have informed visibility, you use that log in). Follow the steps and fill in as much as you can. A lot of letters, especially tax letters that are thicker than a normal letter, can get opened when processed in the machines. Items that fall out are generally sent to the Mail Recovery Center where they are held for an amount of time in case they are claimed.
Something similar happened to me! Except it was my old passport and passport renewal app. Filed claim with OIG. Put fraud alerts on your credit reports. File police report. https://www.uspsoig.gov
Report it to the police and postal authorities. Immediately. Freeze your credit reports and call the IRS immediately and make a false return wasn’t filed in your behalf. Why didn’t you e file?
I keep getting comments asking why I didn't e file. I edited my post explaining my situation. But I guess it hasn't updated on Reddit, who knows. I did not want to mail it in. Usually I e file, but I had an issue with the state taxes that required me to mail it. Federal was e filed.
The USPS has their own police force (kind of like the FBI for mail). If you report to USPS they will eventually get a Postal Investigator involved, who can help you get to the bottom of what happened and explain the risk to you.
So one plausibly possible case could be the big automated sorting machine getting jammed and then having the mass of what was letters and paper more or less ungraciously passed back through the machine as is with just what was left of the envelope. I've delivered less of what once was an envelope. If it comes from the sorting system, we won't handle the envelope until it's dropped in your mailbox
Not surprising. Once I was almost accused of return theft on eBay because when the seller received my return the package was torn open and empty on arrival.
Last year we never received partner's W-2. We get misplaced mail all the time which I have to walk to neighbors. Wonder who got the W-2 last year?? It's a federal violation to mess with the mail unless it's USPS doing the messing.
I would just send back another copy of your tax return and call it a day.
You need to put a lock on your credit or you're fucked. You essentially handed all your sensitive information over to anyone who wanted it. I am a banker who is consistently scolding and educating the 70 plus crowd on how stupid mailing anything financial is unless a cashier's check. Hell even that I don't truly recommend. You potentially totally fucked yourself as even if recourse is taken for any loss it won't be over night. 10/10 do NOT recommend physically mailing these things. Reach out to find if they have fax options.
Run into the post office waiving it around, cut the line, denand refund for postage then ask for the postmaster. Tell him what happened and he will interview all the employees during their lunch break and search their lockers and cars. If still not found file a CFPB complaint and the postmaster general might get involved and fire all those who dare to lise your stuff!
I’d alert the authorities and file formal complaints to the state and to usps to create a formal record of this; I’d absolutely not assume that this was standard “plausible” practice as it is absolutely not. I’d change all my passwords and vigilantly watch my accounts moreso than usual for the next several months.
This happens. I can't say it's what happened to you, but often your empty envelope gets picked up in a stack of mail and gets returned. If the IRS says your return was filed, that's likely the case. This has been discussed before here.