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USPS May Have Lost My Return. How do I proceed?

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
June 8, 2019
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Hope someone can help. I normally electronically file but due to some issues, I had to mail my Federal return to their Ogden UT address. I sent it with signature confirmation and tracking on April 17th as I had someone helping me that couldn't finish until then. I prefer to file much earlier.

Well, the USPS site shows my tracking number made it to Salt Lake City on the 23 and "was in transit to next facility". That's IT. It does not show delivered or signed for. Now, being a paper return I realize it can take (per the IRS site up to four weeks) for it to get into their system so when I asked the status of my return it claims to have no information.

I did a UPS trace and they only will say "will be searched for, and if found, forwarded to the address you provided". NOT HELPFUL.

If the IRS may need a few weeks normally to get my return into their system meaning it's possible it WAS delivered and the post office just didn't scan it upon delivery how do I proceed? All could be well and it wasn't scanned (which I've seen happen) or my return could be floating around the USPS with lots of great personal information inside.

I can't believe it. The ONE year I have to mail a paper return is the one time I have sent something USPS with signature confirmation (which I have done with other documents often without issue) and it vanishes.

I am lost as to what to do. Sit and pray or take some action. If so, what? Thanks!

TurboTax Deluxe Windows

Best answer by SweetieJean

it's possible it WAS delivered and the post office just didn't scan it upon delivery

Yes, that is possible. I would wait another week or two, and see if it shows up on the IRS website. There is no penalty if you are getting a refund.

S

SweetieJeanAnswer

Employee

it's possible it WAS delivered and the post office just didn't scan it upon delivery

Yes, that is possible. I would wait another week or two, and see if it shows up on the IRS website. There is no penalty if you are getting a refund.

R

RyanHAuthor

Employee

Thank you. Yes, I was getting a decent refund and did beyond my personal information floating around the USPS (still scary) what the IRS would say if a couple weeks from now they still didn't seem to have it and I mailed a new copy. They would assume I'm filing a month late, right? You can't exactly attach a note with the prior tracking and explanation someone will read.

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marib8991!

This is exactly happening with me right now I send my fedeal taxes 2 weeks ago which is was on 27th of january and I still got my usps tracking number I send though post office and I even payed extra to get delivered when I send it said on instruction to send it to ogden ut and I did I send it so now it's been weeks I been checking on irs website see where my refund is nothing popped up so then I put my tracking number and I checked it said ....IN TRANSIT TO NEXT FACILITY so what does that means does it means same thing that they might forgot to sing it or what I got my state taxes but not my federal and it's been since january 27th they were supposed to get on Monday but still said same thing IN TRANSIT and it's like how do I know if I am gettin my taxes or anything

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anonymousCA

This exact same thing happened to me too.

USPS just shows "in Transit".
When I check my return status it shows no record that I filed a tax return.

I mailed both FED and STATE, only 1 was lost. The return that was not lost, also showed 2 additional scans after the in transit scan: (1) "arrived at post office for delivery, and then (2) "delivered". So it looks like in transit means the return never even made it to the post office.

Can anyone above clarify what ultimately happened? Did USPS find your return or did you end up refiling?

H

hjcatt

I am wondering the same thing! I'm in the same exact situation. Mailed State and Federal from Portland, Oregon on March 30th. My State made it April 3rd and had all the scans. My federal made it to Salt Lake City, UT and now just says "In Transit to Next Facility". Super frustrating because that Federal return is critical for me qualifying for the $1,200 stimulus check (I was a dependent in 2018).

If anyone is frustrated and wants to chat about having this issue or has an update please email me at [email address removed]!

Here is the reply I got from USPS after I filed a lost mail claim:

This is in response to your inquiry regarding the delivery of a package. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience this matter may have caused you.

The Postal Service is aware of the frustration and disappointment caused when we do not live up to our commitment of safe and reliable mail service.

The IRS receives 10,000 – 20,000 traceable mailpieces (i.e. Certified, Delivery Confirmation, etc.) per day. During peak season this number can increase as high as 75,000. Due to the large volume of mail, it is possible that some scans are missed. Due to the IRS processing facilities consolidations, more filings are being processed through the Salt Lake plant than ever. USPS is aware of the scanning issues and is actively working to correct this for upcoming filing periods.

Regarding Certified/Tracking  9500 1146 0367 0090 5147 13; we have reviewed the scan history and the last data available is from 04/01/2020, when it was scanned at our Auxiliary Sorting Facility in Salt Lake City, UT which is assigned zip code 84198. We estimate it was delivered to the IRS on 04/03/2020. It most likely was sorted directly to a bin destined to the IRS in Ogden, UT 84201, and missed its final scans. This can sometimes happen when the machines are sorting high volumes of mail. Unfortunately, because we failed to provide the tracking service that you paid for, we suggest you take the following steps:

1.       In the absence of a final delivery scan, the USPS can provide a refund of the Certified Mail or Delivery Confirmation fees only.
2.       If you purchased a green Return Receipt card, but haven’t received it; please allow extra time. This year Return Receipts have been taking an extended time to be returned from the IRS. The IRS does log in every mailpiece but due to the consolidations and now COVID-19 staffing issues, it is taking an unknown amount of time for the IRS to show an item in their internal tracking.
3.       Please contact the IRS directly. The IRS’s phone numbers are:
a.       Personal Return call [phone number removed];
b.      Business Returns or filings call [phone number removed].
c.       Customers can also go to www.irs.gov to get a status on their submitted filing even if you are not expecting a refund.
4.       To request a refund for services not rendered, please complete a PS Form 3533 at your local Post Office, provide a copy of this correspondence, along with your original receipt. You can also request a refund on www.usps.com under the Help menu.

An apology is no substitute for good service, but I want to offer one on behalf of the Postal Service. We appreciate your reporting this matter to us. It helps to know the kinds of difficulties our customers have so we can work toward improvements. The information you have provided will be shared with management as they continue their efforts to improve service performance in your area.

Thank you for the opportunity to address this matter with you.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Lucas

Complaints & Inquiry Clerk

C

cheney19

My check was supposedly mailed on February 26th. I still have not recieved it. Its been longer than 10 weeks and I still cant seem to get an answer.. Please help

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hjcatt

That's rubbish. Have you been able to use the function on IRS website 'Where's my Refund?" ?

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fraswim

I mailed my return to Austin, TX on March 9, 2020 and it says it is still in transit? Should I mail another copy? Thank you.

J

JotikaT2

No.

You may want to contact your postal office to see if they have any way of tracking your original return down. There may have been delays in signing off on the receipt of the return as the IRS is operating under limited operations and are not processing paper returns at the moment.

Attached is a link with more information as to what IRS departments are available to contact at the moment.

IRS operations

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M

mroser

I have the same issue. The following statement is on the IRS website. Hopefully nothing actually got lost and the IRS office is just not processing them yet.

Paper Tax Returns: All taxpayers should file electronically through their tax preparer, tax software provider or IRS Free File if possible. The IRS is not currently able to process individual paper tax returns. If you already have filed via paper but it has not yet been processed, do not file a second tax return or write to the IRS to inquire about the status of your return or your Economic Impact Payment. Paper returns will be processed once processing centers are able to reopen. This year, more than 90% of taxpayers have filed electronically.

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crezakhani

Same thing happened to me. My USPS tracking displays “In Transit” and I was told by a postal worker that the IRS processing center does not scan deliveries and it is an IRS issue.

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GeoReb

I certified mailed my federal return to one processing center (Boston, MA) and got a confirmed delivery and my daughter’s return to a different one (Louisville, KY) which has been in transit for more than a week.

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DSprouse

Electronic wasn’t able to be processed due to one piece of actual paper needed - so stupid! We mailed on 4/15/20 - IRS where’s my refund still doesn’t show anything. Says don’t mail again but you should have your check by now. No way to get a love person on the phone. We included a 2018 addendum as well- check for that has not been cashed. Do I mail again?? Or wait?

Seems to me USPS has some major changes to make.

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Anonymous

the problem could be that you included a 2018 addendum (whatever that is) with the 2019 return. It should have been sent separately. Or it could be simply that the IRS for 2-3 months wasn't processing mailed-in returns. It is thus far behind in processing them so it just might be that the IRS hasn't gotten to your return yet. There is no way to know for sure what's happening with your return.

the problem is that if the IRS got your return and you send in another copy it could further delay processing.

another issue with sending in another set, again 2018 should be sent separate from 2019, is that if the IRS got the first filing and you send in a second, the IRS will likely cash both checks.

I suggest waiting until at least the end of August before doing sending in a second set. after that, it's up to you to decide whether to wait further or submit a second set. This time use a method where you get proof of delivery.

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paul wallace

Can I file electronically on the assumption that my mailed in return sent in June, 2019 for 2019 was lost or not processed?

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xmasbaby0

Employee

No. E-filing for 2019 returns has been closed since October. Here is what the IRS says about sending in another 2019 return:

Processing Delays for Paper Tax Returns

We continue to process electronic and paper tax returns, issue refunds, and accept payments. We’re experiencing delays in processing paper tax returns due to limited staffing. If you already filed a paper return, we will process it in the order we received it.

Do not file a second tax return or call the IRS.

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

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Shovelbudsolady61

It doesn’t matter if you pay for certified mail , that’s what I did . I’m in Kansas, sending my taxes to Ogden, Utah. Almost 10 weeks ago it was mailed , at the post office by the postmaster . It went to Kansas City one day after I mailed it and it’s just vanished. I made a claim and they told me the same as everyone else . It’s freaking lost , we’ll refund your 4 bucks .. sorry .. tough . I’m just going to try to efile and see what happens.

CatinaT1

It is not unusual for the IRS to not return the certified mail card.

According to this IRS update as of April 16th:

The IRS is now opening mail within normal timeframes. The IRS has also made significant progress in processing prior year returns. As of April 9, 2021, we had 1.5 million individual tax returns received prior to 2021 in the processing pipeline. Including current year returns, as of April 9, 2021, we had 16.2 million unprocessed individual returns in the pipeline. Unprocessed returns include those requiring correction to the Recovery Rebate Credit amount or validation of 2019 income used to figure the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Advance Child Tax Credit (ACTC). This work does not require us to correspond with taxpayers but does require special handling by an IRS employee so, in these instances, it is taking the IRS more than 21 days to issue any related refund. If, as a result, a correction is made to any RRC, EITC or ACTC claimed on the return, the IRS will send taxpayers an explanation. Taxpayers are encouraged to continue to check Where’s My Refund? for their personalized refund status and can review Tax Season Refund Frequently Asked Questions.

How long you may have to wait: The IRS understands the importance of timely processing of tax returns and refund issuance. We are processing returns received over the summer and fall in 2020 due to the extended July 15, 2020 tax filing due date. While the majority of 2019 refund returns have been processed, in some cases, we are processing tax returns that were mailed with a payment even though payment associated with these returns have been processed by the IRS. However, we are rerouting tax returns and taxpayer correspondence from locations that are behind to locations where more staff is available, and we are taking other actions to minimize any delays. Tax returns are opened in the order received. As the return is processed, it may be delayed because it has a mistake including errors concerning the Recovery Rebate Credit, is missing information, or there is suspected identity theft or fraud. If we can fix it without contacting you, we will. If we need more information or need you to verify that it was you who sent the tax return, we will write you a letter. The resolution of these issues depends on how quickly and accurately you respond, and the ability of IRS staff trained and working under social distancing requirements to complete the processing of your return.

What you should do: If you filed electronically and received an acknowledgement, you do not need to take any further action other than promptly responding to any requests for information. If you filed on paper, check Where’s my refund? If it tells you we have received your return or are processing or reviewing it, we are processing your return, but it may be under review. We’re working hard to get through the backlog. Please don’t file a second tax return or contact the IRS about the status of your return.

E-filing your 2020 tax return: To e-file you will need to enter your AGI from your tax year 2019 tax return. If your 2019 return has not yet been processed, you may enter $ 0 (zero) as your prior year Adjusted Gross Income. If you used the Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here tool last year to register for an Economic Impact Payment, enter “$1” as your prior year AGI. See Claiming the Recovery Rebate Credit if you aren’t required to file a tax return.

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T

TH-3

The very same thing almost verbatim is happening to me with my return.

I wish there was a live person to talk with about my problem and concerns.

B

BillM223

@TH-3

As you can see form the discussion above, this is an IRS/USPS issue - TurboTax has no control over it.

As you know, it is very difficult to contact the IRS and the USPS because of (1) the pandemic, (2) huge backlogs of work, (3) the year 2020 in general...

Since the IRS is a federal agency and the USPS gets money from Congress, you might contact your own congressperson's office. Queries from a Congressman/woman sometimes has salutatory effects on government agencies in terms of finding things and cutting red tape.

At the least, this may help remind your congressional representative to stop cutting the IRS' budget.

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E

EllenLB

I recommend cutting the crap and getting to the heart of the matter.

I mailed my 2020 Form 4868 - Extension of time to file, with a hefty check, on the due date. I mailed it certified mail, and I can see from the tracking that it was received by my local post office (where I mailed it). That's it - trail goes cold from here. It's been two days short of one month. The check has not been cashed and the IRS has no record of receiving any 2020 filings from me.

You will not get help from USPS, so stop wasting your time barking up that tree. Yes, my situation was "resolved" too. Except not delivered.

My recommendations:

1) Keep and copy your certified mail receipt.

2) Track the certified mail details and print out any records you can find.

3) If you mailed a check, check with your bank to make sure it has not been cashed.

4) Call [phone number removed] and select 1 for English and 1 for making an appt. Be very patient. Sometimes they tell you they can't handle the call volume and hang up. Try again.

5) When you get through, get the advisor's name and badge number. Write it down, just in case you get cut off for some reason maybe you can track that person down.

6) The first question will be whether you want to make an appointment. The answer is YES, please.

7) The second question will be about the issue. Describe your situation.

😎 Apparently the purpose of the Make an Appt phone service is to avoid making appointments. And this is the best part – they will help you with your problem to reduce the number of in-person appts. Bingo!

The nice lady I got was able to grant an extension for me for 2020. Then she guided me to the online payment area so that I could make a payment.

I WILL NEVER SEND A CHECK THROUGH THE MAIL TO THE IRS AGAIN. Or to anyone that I can prevent.

I suspect that after I file my return, the IRS will notify me that I owe a penalty for sending the payment nearly a month late. This is where the documentation comes in. I'll need to respond by mail showing the certified mail receipt, the tracking info, etc. Maybe it will get me out of some of the penalty.

Good luck to you!

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gretchhub

If you see that your check cleared then you know the IRS has received your tax return. Not processed it, that can take forever, so it won't show up in the IRS system, but the money, they process that right away. It is the only way to know they got the return. The post office is in big trouble because there are too many Republicans in the Senate. They put in a lame duck change requiring funding pension benefits 75 years out. That means funding benefits for people who are not even born yet. There is no US company that can survive doing that. It needs to be repealed but the Senate rules allows a minority to block any legislation. The Dems need at least 60 Senators, a house majority and the president to get anything done. This batch of Republicans seem hell bent on destroying anything that actually worked in the US government. The USPS is one government agency that does not add to the deficit, guess they had to kill it.