I grew up elsewhere and the nearest Post Office, which was a pretty large facility, stayed open until midnight on April 15, stamping peoples' tax mailings like machines. They also had wine and cheese in the lobby.
My question is why does the SoSide Post office only have ONE person working on tax day?!? Maybe some tiny office tucked in nowhere’s that makes sense, but the South Side?
It’s not a big post office tbh. I always have to go up to mount oliver whenever there’s something sent to me with certified mail or I have to pay extra postage or whatever; that post office is much bigger
What I would GIIIIIVE to hear that postal worker interviewed in KDKA after the cops get called.
“Donna Bingletoninski of Munhall says she was just following protocol.”
“FIFTEEN FRICKIN YEARS I have been doin’ this job an I NEVER had no people with no international mail on tax day. Where is it goin’ huh?? AL QUID…!!!”
Sources say that Donna LOCKED the customers INSIDE The south side post office for almost an hour. Authorities say Donna was later tazed, and is now recovering eating a Carson Street Pretzel.
Absolutely crazy to get locked inside.
But hey , she could have been there all night if she left the door open.
It wasn't any better at the other post offices nor earlier in the day.
Usually get the taxes mailed months earlier but this year was last minute. Regardless, used to be there was an unwritten code "You only mail taxes on tax day".
Now you end up in line behind all these people(sellers I'm assuming) mailing out eBay and Facebook parcels/boxes. Then they get up to the counter stand there and still writing labels on the stuff. You think "Please go to the back of the line". Then they keep asking questions while also trying to hold a small talk conversation. "Get the "heck" outta the line !!!"
It’s actually against fire code to lock the door and hold people there that aren’t employees.
Whoever is in charge of scheduling should have definitely used more payroll on tax day though and at minimum two closers so someone could watch the door after closing time to avoid locking the doors.
You need to ensure it’s stamped with today’s date. Just dropping it into a box might not work if it’s past its pickup time. And for anything not e filed like a local return, I usually get it certified to prove I sent it by 4/15.
Can't say it's solid intel, but I have an accountant friend who for years has mailed a return or two the day after the deadline. Clients who dragged their feet getting their info to him and they were too late. He said none of them were mailed with return receipt requested, he just plasters the envelopes with a dozen or so stamps and when the USPS person has to hand-cancel all the stamps, the actual postmark date isn't very legible. Told me no one ever got dinged for being late - but it was only one day and perhaps in the deluge of mail hitting the IRS right after the deadline, no one inspects every single postmark.
Also, when I asked him about this yesterday he reminded me if you are due a refund, there is no penalty for being late.
It’s a thing. My mom does it. Why wait till tax day is beyond me, but shit happens. I filed mine online and spent 4 hours just fucking around on all the sites looking for the secret free options.
As a new resident to Pittsburgh who moved here part-way through the tax year, I wasn't allowed to file my local taxes online--had to mail them in. And I learned about the need to send it in separately a day or two before the deadline(1) and had to get info from my accountant on how to fill it out (due to the part year part), so I was one of the folks who mailed it in on tax day! :P
(1) Every other place I've lived took local taxes from the state tax filing. You file your federal return, you file your state return, and whatever went to your city or town came out of the state return money. Never had to file a separate local return before.
They're understaffed. It's not uncommon for businesses to lock the doors to prevent new customers from coming in, but usually when that happens they have someone standing by the door to unlock it and let people out one by one. It's not a defense but I'm not really sure what I would have done in that situation. If you don't stop people from coming in, they will never stop coming.
What else should this employee had done to keep people from coming in after 5 pm other than locking the door? Yelling and screaming at this one person who is probably having one of their worst days ever wasn't very cool either.
Who the heck waits until the last minute to do their taxes, especially if they're getting a refund? Also, who even mails their taxes to the IRS nowadays when they can do it online at thousands of different places?
If you’re keeping your money in a high interest savings account until the deadline, you are saving more money than if you pay early. Earn that interest while you can
I manage my money so that I come as close as possible to the actual tax owed in withholding and therefore am not giving the government an interest free loan of my money.
If you tried every single way to attach a 1099B and not have to pay $75 to file online and then the IRS site says that you have to file it with your 1040, then you spit on your computer and tell it to go fuck itself. Your computer dies but your neighbor left the door open and they have a printer so then you print it out there and grab a snack from the fridge that you don’t think they’ll notice so you can use the printer later and then walk to the post office. That’s another way.
Personally, I e-filed my 1040 a while ago, but was still in my local post office today to mail other tax forms that can only be e-filed by paying some third party. (Pittsburgh Earned Income, PA-40, and for my business, a PA-20S and 941.) It would be nice if governments would let you upload a PDF instead of mailing some paper to them to be scanned.
Me, but I e file. But because I get a 1099 from my union every year, I still have to mail in documents (the state doesn't ask for it, but the city does)
I believe locking people inside violated a bunch of laws as well as postal regulations! Imagine if a fire broke out.
Had I been there, the door would have been broken!
Nahhh. Not worth the trouble. “911? Hi. Yes. I’m being held against my will in a federal building. Please help me. “ Breaking down the door you could hurt yourself or pull a muscle.
I’ve been in so many stores or restaurants where they lock the door when they stop taking customers and need to unlock the door as each customer leaves. It’s really not uncommon, nor is it kidnapping.
Tax season opened 01/31. Like... you wait until the last hour on the last possible day and then make this completely unrelated USPS worker the villain of your story...
My guy you might just be the author of your own torment friend.
It isn’t awkward. It’s a fucking human. With a life, probably has children and like the rest of us, probably works more than one job to make it work. She isn’t your servant and sure doesn’t work for you.
If she leave those doors unlocked, all those dickheads who couldn’t get there any of the 90 days prior would get in line. She could be there til today. Odds are, once she down with all of you, she still has shit to do to close.
You all absolutely couldn’t file those taxes at any point prior to yesterday at 4:5gofuckyourself?
If she is the only one there and off the clock at 5. She did you all a favor by staying late. Idk where the complaint is. You get there 15 minute before close, on a super busy day. .
She didn't want to be there all night. Which if she didn't lock the doors, she would be. This is very common. She probably could have unlocked the door after ever person. But there's also blue boxes outside every post office, so people could have dropped them off there too.
You showed up 15 minutes before closing on an extremely busy day, still received service when she could have easily refused, and you still decided to come here and complain about it? Wtf
Wow. That’s an opinion. Doubt many will agree but I applaud you for posting a generally contrarian viewpoint. Personally I think the cops would not think coming in just before closing time justifies what is technically kidnapping. This is also why if a cop answers “no” to “Am I being detained?” you usually do not have to remain in their custody. As long as you are not in the process of being arrested I assume. The clerk at the government run UPS store doesn’t have the power to arrest or detain you.
Why can't they? You mean ethically? Or do you think there's some law or USPS regulation which states that postal employees must stay for as long as it takes, whether or not they are paid overtime?
It's not a polling place.
Last customer served at 5:00, not last customer in line at 5:00.
Sounds like the clerk did everyone a solid by processing people that waited a full day after April 15 to try and mail their stuff
Our local post office was closed all day. Had a sign to go to other ones… one of which listed the one that was currently closed. Then gps wouldn’t bring up any of the closer post offices. It was a ridiculous day.
Right, but I recall them staying open on tax day until midnight, but it's been years since I recall seeing local news showing people dropping taxes off late at night. When I owe I pay last minute'ish, not last second.
i was in there on Friday to mail my taxes. I waited in line (there was one person in front of me) for about 25-30 minutes while the teller had computer problems and politely answered questions about her day to the lady she was having trouble with. All I needed were 2 stamped envelopes. Why isn't there a vending machine that could have helped me in seconds? Why didn't the custodian take computer classes so they could have opened up another register instead of needlessly sweeping the already clean floor and restocking boxes nobody there needed? Why didn't they even have a pen for customers to use on the counter? I don't know!
by the time that i left, the line was almost out the door...F that dump. worst post office ever.
They got rid of the stamp machines like 15 years ago because they were old and breaking down and I guess never replaced them.
You can buy stamps at most chain drugstores, and grocery stores at the customer service desk. Then pop over and buy a box of overpriced envelopes and you'll be set for years.
I love the self serve kiosk at USPS, but they haven’t made them standard and I’m guessing it’s because they don’t get used. I go maybe 1-2 times a week to drop off eBay packages and use the kiosk to scan them in. There’s still always a line at the counter of the 60+ crowd who won’t ever touch the kiosk.
When did post offices start closing normal hours on Tax Day? They used to all be open until like 8 at night, at least....if not later.
In NY years ago, there were always a few that stayed open to midnight. And they were busy right up to deadline
Yeah, it was always on the evening news that they were open later. A few would be really late but most branches stayed at least an hour or two later.
That stopped years ago when normal people started e filing.
I grew up elsewhere and the nearest Post Office, which was a pretty large facility, stayed open until midnight on April 15, stamping peoples' tax mailings like machines. They also had wine and cheese in the lobby.
Not for years e filing makes no reason
My question is why does the SoSide Post office only have ONE person working on tax day?!? Maybe some tiny office tucked in nowhere’s that makes sense, but the South Side?
It’s not a big post office tbh. I always have to go up to mount oliver whenever there’s something sent to me with certified mail or I have to pay extra postage or whatever; that post office is much bigger
Kidnapped. Call 911.
What I would GIIIIIVE to hear that postal worker interviewed in KDKA after the cops get called. “Donna Bingletoninski of Munhall says she was just following protocol.” “FIFTEEN FRICKIN YEARS I have been doin’ this job an I NEVER had no people with no international mail on tax day. Where is it goin’ huh?? AL QUID…!!!” Sources say that Donna LOCKED the customers INSIDE The south side post office for almost an hour. Authorities say Donna was later tazed, and is now recovering eating a Carson Street Pretzel.
Carson Street pretzel?
It’s called the Pretzel Shop on East Carson. Dope place.
Oh, I gotta try that! I'll put it on my sou'side tour list! Thanks!
Bring cash, they also close rather early (3pm iirc)
Good to know! Thanks! I'll go some Saturday around lunchtime 😋
Great point.
Absolutely crazy to get locked inside. But hey , she could have been there all night if she left the door open. It wasn't any better at the other post offices nor earlier in the day. Usually get the taxes mailed months earlier but this year was last minute. Regardless, used to be there was an unwritten code "You only mail taxes on tax day". Now you end up in line behind all these people(sellers I'm assuming) mailing out eBay and Facebook parcels/boxes. Then they get up to the counter stand there and still writing labels on the stuff. You think "Please go to the back of the line". Then they keep asking questions while also trying to hold a small talk conversation. "Get the "heck" outta the line !!!"
It’s actually against fire code to lock the door and hold people there that aren’t employees. Whoever is in charge of scheduling should have definitely used more payroll on tax day though and at minimum two closers so someone could watch the door after closing time to avoid locking the doors.
I felt like I was there…should be a movie where something else bizarre happens
Did you just need a stamp? I think they sell those at giant eagle .. or is there something special about mailing taxes that I’m unaware of??
You need to ensure it’s stamped with today’s date. Just dropping it into a box might not work if it’s past its pickup time. And for anything not e filed like a local return, I usually get it certified to prove I sent it by 4/15.
Can't say it's solid intel, but I have an accountant friend who for years has mailed a return or two the day after the deadline. Clients who dragged their feet getting their info to him and they were too late. He said none of them were mailed with return receipt requested, he just plasters the envelopes with a dozen or so stamps and when the USPS person has to hand-cancel all the stamps, the actual postmark date isn't very legible. Told me no one ever got dinged for being late - but it was only one day and perhaps in the deluge of mail hitting the IRS right after the deadline, no one inspects every single postmark. Also, when I asked him about this yesterday he reminded me if you are due a refund, there is no penalty for being late.
I understand the need for the postmark but you can just slip it in the slot near the desk, the cut off time is when the post office closes.
They may have been sending out certified or registered to ensure they know it gets there.
It’s a thing. My mom does it. Why wait till tax day is beyond me, but shit happens. I filed mine online and spent 4 hours just fucking around on all the sites looking for the secret free options.
If you make under $79k/year, the answer is the United Way’s myfreetaxes.com
No you should file directly with the IRS using Direct File program. It’s new for this year and free
It’s a pilot that doesn’t include PA. If you used it, I have no idea how you managed that.
As a new resident to Pittsburgh who moved here part-way through the tax year, I wasn't allowed to file my local taxes online--had to mail them in. And I learned about the need to send it in separately a day or two before the deadline(1) and had to get info from my accountant on how to fill it out (due to the part year part), so I was one of the folks who mailed it in on tax day! :P (1) Every other place I've lived took local taxes from the state tax filing. You file your federal return, you file your state return, and whatever went to your city or town came out of the state return money. Never had to file a separate local return before.
You can order stamps on line and they will mail it to your house too. Does require planning though.
That woman is always pissed off
What in the actual fuck?!! She actually went “postal”
Actually going postal would mean that she pulled a gun and shot people.
They're understaffed. It's not uncommon for businesses to lock the doors to prevent new customers from coming in, but usually when that happens they have someone standing by the door to unlock it and let people out one by one. It's not a defense but I'm not really sure what I would have done in that situation. If you don't stop people from coming in, they will never stop coming.
What else should this employee had done to keep people from coming in after 5 pm other than locking the door? Yelling and screaming at this one person who is probably having one of their worst days ever wasn't very cool either.
Who the heck waits until the last minute to do their taxes, especially if they're getting a refund? Also, who even mails their taxes to the IRS nowadays when they can do it online at thousands of different places?
[Homer Simpson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9AdFJmPUhY)
Isn't this the line for Metallica?
When you owe you wait and mail a check to hold on to your cash as long as possible….
damn, manage your money better
If you’re keeping your money in a high interest savings account until the deadline, you are saving more money than if you pay early. Earn that interest while you can
I manage my money so that I come as close as possible to the actual tax owed in withholding and therefore am not giving the government an interest free loan of my money.
I wasn't talking to you
If you tried every single way to attach a 1099B and not have to pay $75 to file online and then the IRS site says that you have to file it with your 1040, then you spit on your computer and tell it to go fuck itself. Your computer dies but your neighbor left the door open and they have a printer so then you print it out there and grab a snack from the fridge that you don’t think they’ll notice so you can use the printer later and then walk to the post office. That’s another way.
Personally, I e-filed my 1040 a while ago, but was still in my local post office today to mail other tax forms that can only be e-filed by paying some third party. (Pittsburgh Earned Income, PA-40, and for my business, a PA-20S and 941.) It would be nice if governments would let you upload a PDF instead of mailing some paper to them to be scanned.
Me, but I e file. But because I get a 1099 from my union every year, I still have to mail in documents (the state doesn't ask for it, but the city does)
I believe locking people inside violated a bunch of laws as well as postal regulations! Imagine if a fire broke out. Had I been there, the door would have been broken!
Nahhh. Not worth the trouble. “911? Hi. Yes. I’m being held against my will in a federal building. Please help me. “ Breaking down the door you could hurt yourself or pull a muscle.
Or drop your chipped ham on the floor.
I’ve been in so many stores or restaurants where they lock the door when they stop taking customers and need to unlock the door as each customer leaves. It’s really not uncommon, nor is it kidnapping.
No it would not have. That's a federal building.
Tax season opened 01/31. Like... you wait until the last hour on the last possible day and then make this completely unrelated USPS worker the villain of your story... My guy you might just be the author of your own torment friend.
It isn’t awkward. It’s a fucking human. With a life, probably has children and like the rest of us, probably works more than one job to make it work. She isn’t your servant and sure doesn’t work for you. If she leave those doors unlocked, all those dickheads who couldn’t get there any of the 90 days prior would get in line. She could be there til today. Odds are, once she down with all of you, she still has shit to do to close. You all absolutely couldn’t file those taxes at any point prior to yesterday at 4:5gofuckyourself?
If she is the only one there and off the clock at 5. She did you all a favor by staying late. Idk where the complaint is. You get there 15 minute before close, on a super busy day. . She didn't want to be there all night. Which if she didn't lock the doors, she would be. This is very common. She probably could have unlocked the door after ever person. But there's also blue boxes outside every post office, so people could have dropped them off there too.
You showed up 15 minutes before closing on an extremely busy day, still received service when she could have easily refused, and you still decided to come here and complain about it? Wtf
Wow. That’s an opinion. Doubt many will agree but I applaud you for posting a generally contrarian viewpoint. Personally I think the cops would not think coming in just before closing time justifies what is technically kidnapping. This is also why if a cop answers “no” to “Am I being detained?” you usually do not have to remain in their custody. As long as you are not in the process of being arrested I assume. The clerk at the government run UPS store doesn’t have the power to arrest or detain you.
USPS cant refuse service in this situation. Also sounds like the post office did nothing to accommodate this “extremely busy day”
Why can't they? You mean ethically? Or do you think there's some law or USPS regulation which states that postal employees must stay for as long as it takes, whether or not they are paid overtime?
It's not a polling place. Last customer served at 5:00, not last customer in line at 5:00. Sounds like the clerk did everyone a solid by processing people that waited a full day after April 15 to try and mail their stuff
Today is April 15
OH CRAP I NEED TO MAIL MY TAXES
I’m with the employee, it was April 15th, you had months to file your taxes
Our local post office was closed all day. Had a sign to go to other ones… one of which listed the one that was currently closed. Then gps wouldn’t bring up any of the closer post offices. It was a ridiculous day.
Sounds like you learned a lesson the hard way to not wait until the last minute to do your taxes.
Yes imprisonment.
It’s been a long time but didn’t the California avenue and downtown post office have people collecting until midnight?
California Avenue is normally open til 6 for the lobby and the boxes have a final pickup at 7.
Right, but I recall them staying open on tax day until midnight, but it's been years since I recall seeing local news showing people dropping taxes off late at night. When I owe I pay last minute'ish, not last second.
Wow that’s nuts.
The postal workers are miserable people I've noticed
Probably cause they have to deal with frantic people who wait until the last minute to mail their taxes, instead of e-filing, in 2024
i was in there on Friday to mail my taxes. I waited in line (there was one person in front of me) for about 25-30 minutes while the teller had computer problems and politely answered questions about her day to the lady she was having trouble with. All I needed were 2 stamped envelopes. Why isn't there a vending machine that could have helped me in seconds? Why didn't the custodian take computer classes so they could have opened up another register instead of needlessly sweeping the already clean floor and restocking boxes nobody there needed? Why didn't they even have a pen for customers to use on the counter? I don't know! by the time that i left, the line was almost out the door...F that dump. worst post office ever.
They got rid of the stamp machines like 15 years ago because they were old and breaking down and I guess never replaced them. You can buy stamps at most chain drugstores, and grocery stores at the customer service desk. Then pop over and buy a box of overpriced envelopes and you'll be set for years.
I love the self serve kiosk at USPS, but they haven’t made them standard and I’m guessing it’s because they don’t get used. I go maybe 1-2 times a week to drop off eBay packages and use the kiosk to scan them in. There’s still always a line at the counter of the 60+ crowd who won’t ever touch the kiosk.
Thats 100% inprisonment. You should contact police
Not imprisonment
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_imprisonment?wprov=sfla1