When I send out a tax return to a client, and it has to be mailed to a tax agency, I always state, in my letter, “mail, using certified mail, return receipt requested….” Joe Kristan of Roth Tax Updates today reported on a court case that made its way to the Iowa Supreme Court. A taxpayer’s refund was denied because he couldn’t prove it had been mailed in on a timely basis. Apparently, the accountant mailed the return for the taxpayer…but using just first class mail.
Joe Kristan’s advice at the end of his post is the same advice we’ve been giving out for years:
“The Moral? Go to the post office, use certified mail, return receipt requested, and save the postmark receipt and return receipt in a safe place. Better yet, use electronic filing and save the whole runaround.” If you’re going to spend money having a professional prepare your return (and it’s a lot more than $4.50), spend the $4.50 to mail your return!
Hat Tip: Roth Tax Updates