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OT: Daily Lesson-USPS Tax Form mailing instructions Posted by MI-Roger [Email]  (#882) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from MI-Roger) on Tue, 26 Mar 2013 06:44:39
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Late last month I completed my State and Federal Tax Returns, Fed was e-Filed with a check and the State was submitted by US Mail for a refund. The State return required 12-15 pages of forms and documents so I placed the entire stack in a 9x12 manila envelope and drove to the local Post Office. Since the counter line was out the lobby doors I used the Self Service Postage Machine which charged me $1.32 for First Class Mail and provided a Tracking Label for zero additional cost.
Yesterday, almost exactly one month later, I received my envelope back with so many labels and comments added by the Post Office that I thought my envelope had been used as a prop in a USPS training class!
Return To Sender
Insufficient Postage
Improper Package
$1.67 Postage Due
Tracking Not Available For This Piece
So back to the Post Office today to find out why. As luck would have it the Counter Clerk recognized all the writing as hers so there was no issue as to what was meant by all the comments.
The $1.32 Postage I paid is correct for that size and weight of First Class Mail envelope. Tracking is not available on envelopes, only packages. The size and weight of my tax return as a package costs $2.69 for First Class service. Packages are generally considered as being 1/4-inch thick or more, envelopes MUST be less than 1/4-inch thick.
I had three options:
1) Pay the additional $1.67 for package rate with Tracking and hope no one rejects it for being too thin
2) Pay the additional $1.67 for package rate with Tracking and open the envelope to insert one or two sheets of corrugated cardboard to make it over 1/4 inch thickness. (I was left with the impression the Post Office maintains a stock of such cardboard at the counter for just this purpose).
3) Remove the Tracking Label and pay nothing additional. Bingo!
Moral of the story for all tax filers in the next three weeks:
DO NOT use the free tracking labels provided by the self service Postage Machines unless your envelope is more than 1/4-inch thick, AND you have selected the Package option on the machine.
Apparently one of the incredibly long and confusing menu messages on the self-service machines instructs the user that Tracking can only be applied to packages over 1/4-inch thick. I obviously missed that message.
->Posting last edited on Tue, 26 Mar 2013 06:50:20.
_______________________________________ Saabs owned: 2008 9-5 Aero Sedan, sold at 227K miles 2006 9-3SC 2.0T - Wife's daily driver 2000 Viggen Convertible - Sold May, 2022 1964 Quantum IV Formula Car - Retirement project 2000 9-5lpt Sedan, sold at 318K miles
, Tue, 26 Mar 2013 06:44:39 <-- Viewing This Message
, Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:30:42, Tue, 26 Mar 2013 08:16:49
, Tue, 26 Mar 2013 07:24:34, Tue, 26 Mar 2013 07:21:46, Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:15:28
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