Proof of filing your tax
returns Timely Mailed/Timely Filed |
|||
Home Order more Information |
|
Dates for filing refunds and Tax Court/Appeals |
|
Planning, Review & Preparation Electing Mark-to-Market Trading through an entity Trader definitions Tax information & news Discussion Board, F.A.Q., Futures, Benefit Plans & other info Search this site add text to search window |
Copyright© 2007, 2008 & 2011 Colin M. Cody, CPA and TraderStatus.com, LLC, All Rights Reserved. | |
Let's start off by addressing a common misconception, perpetrated by U.S. post office employees and even some IRS employees. Let it be clearly understood that "proof of filing" and "proof of delivery" is not at all the same thing as proof of mailing or even hand delivery to an IRS office. With very few exceptions, only certified mail should be used for delivering important paper documents to the IRS. Date Considered Filed and Timely Mailed/Timely Filed Exception A tax return filed before its due date is deemed filed on the due date (§6513(a)) A taxpayer seeking to establish that a return is timely filed can prove it by showing either:
Filing on time. Your paper return is filed on time if it is mailed in an envelope that is properly addressed, has enough postage, and is postmarked by the due date. If you send your return by registered mail, the date of the registration is the postmark date. The registration is evidence that the return was delivered. If you send a return by certified mail and have your receipt postmarked by a postal employee, the date on the receipt is the postmark date. The postmarked certified mail receipt is evidence that the return was delivered. Private delivery services. If you use a private delivery service designated by the IRS to send your return, the postmark date generally is the date the private delivery service records in its database or marks on the mailing label. The private delivery service can tell you how to get written proof of this date. The following are designated private delivery services.
CAUTION: Private delivery services cannot deliver items to P.O. boxes. You must use the U.S. Postal Service to mail any item to an IRS P.O. box address. IRS PROPOSED RULES (REG-138176-02) ON TIMELY MAILING TREATED AS TIMELY FILING REG-138176-02 RIN 1545-BA99 Timely Mailing Treated As Timely Filing The IRS currently accepts only a registered or certified mail receipt to establish a presumption of delivery if the IRS has no record of ever having received the document in question. This policy not only is consistent with section 7502(c) but also provides taxpayers with certainty that, under the Code, a certified or registered mail receipt will establish prima facie evidence of delivery. Accordingly, the proposed regulations merely clarify and confirm current IRS practice under the existing regulations. These proposed regulations provide that the final regulations, to which these proposed regulations relate, will be effective for all documents mailed after the publication date of these proposed regulations. §301.7502-1 Timely mailing of documents and payments treated as timely filing and paying. 301.7502-1(e) 301.7502-1(e)(1) Other than direct proof of actual delivery, proof of proper use of registered or certified mail is the exclusive means to establish prima facie evidence of delivery of a document to the agency, officer, or office with which the document is required to be filed. No other evidence of a postmark or of mailing will be prima facie evidence of delivery or raise a presumption that the document was delivered. 301.7502-1(g) 301.7502-1(g)(4) Registered or certified mail as the means to prove delivery of a document. The last two sentences of paragraph (e)(1) of this section, when published at final regulations, will apply to all documents mailed after September 21, 2004. /s/ Mark E. Matthews Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement To further beat a dead horse,
because people seem to love to argue the point that they feel
that they can use less-expensive US Postal Service Delivery Confirmation Receipts, or
business Postage Meters (with or without the stamped date rolled back),
or the more-expensive
FedEx and other "better" delivery services, or even making physical hand
delivery of documents at the IRS offices. In General /Footnote/ 27 Miller v. U.S., 784
F.2d 728, 730 (6th Cir. 1986). Personal delivery of a tax return to an IRS agent does not constitute a filing that begins the running of the limitations period on assessment since the agent was not authorized to accept such returns for filing. 33 Where an IRS agent used the returns to formulate a request for information from the taxpayer is not considered a filing that begins the running of such limitations period. 34 The taxpayer's intent and conduct in these regards are relevant. 35 /Footnote/ 33 Metals Refining
Limited v. Comr., T.C. Memo 1993-115. U.S. Mail /Footnote/ 36 Surowka v. U.S.,
909 F.2d 148 (6th Cir. 1990); Walden v. Comr., 90 T.C. 947 (1988). See
also Higbee v. Comr., T.C. Summary Op. 2002-128; Smith v. Comr., T.C.
Summary Op. 2001-130. Additionally, the filing of an amended return does not affect the statutory period of limitation, which begins to run on the filing of the original return. 41 /Footnote/ 41 Robinson Est. v. Comr., 101 T.C. 499 (1993); Northern Anthracite Coal Co. v. Comr., 21 B.T.A. 1116 (1931). Private Delivery Services
/Footnote/ 42 §7502(f). See Rev.
Rul. 2002-23, 2002-18 I.R.B. 811 (For taxpayer in a foreign country, the
IRS deems timely filed a document required or permitted to be filed by
the IRS or by the Tax Court if that document is given to a PDS
designated for international delivery before midnight on last day
prescribed for filing). The IRS has designated certain delivery services of three private companies as "designated private delivery services." Thus, the types of services designated for these purposes are:
/Footnote/ 44 Notice 2004-83, 2004-52 I.R.B. 1030, modifying Notice 2002-62, 2002-39 I.R.B. 574, modifying Notice 2001-62, 2001-40 I.R.B. 307, modifying Notice 99-41, 1999-2 C.B. 325, modifying Notice 97-26, 1997-1 C.B. 413, and Rev. Proc. 97-19, 1997-1 C.B. 644. In Notice 2002-62, FedEx International Priority, and FedEx International First were added to the list published in Notice 2001-62. Both of these services provide delivery services to the United States from foreign countries. No other service offered by these companies qualifies for the timely mailing/timely filing rule. Moreover, taxpayers using companies not on this list will not qualify for the timely mailing/timely filing rule. The designations are effective until the IRS issues a revised list. The IRS will publish a new list only when a designated private delivery service is added to, or removed from, the current list. To qualify for the timely mailing/timely filing rule, taxpayers must make sure that the designated private delivery service actually is given or picks up the document on or before its due date. 45 /Footnote/ 45 Notice 2004-83,
2004-52 I.R.B. 1030, modifying Notice 2002-62, 2002-39 I.R.B. 574,
modifying Notice 2002-62, 2002-39 I.R.B. 574, modifying Notice 2001-62,
2001-40 I.R.B. 307, modifying Notice 99-41, 1999-2 C.B. 325, modifying
Notice 97-26, 1997-1 C.B. 413, and Rev. Proc. 97-19, 1997-1 C.B. 644.
Notice 2004-83 states that the IRS will publish a subsequent notice
setting forth a new list only if a designated PDS (or service) is added
to, or removed from, the current list, or if there is a change to the
application and/or appeal procedures. Delivery services that wish to be
designated in time for an upcoming filing season must continue to submit
applications by June 30th of the year preceding that filing season, as
required by Rev. Proc. 97-19, as modified by Notice 97-50, 1997-2 C.B.
305. Notice 97-26 continues to provide special rules used to determine
the date that will be treated as the postmark date for purposes of
§7502. Electronically Filed
Returns /Footnote/ 46 See §7502(c)(2). The regulations provide that a document filed electronically with an electronic return transmitter 47 is deemed to be filed on the date of the electronic postmark given by the authorized electronic return transmitter. 48 Thus, if the electronic postmark is timely, the document is considered filed timely although it is received by the agency, officer, or office after the last date, or the last day of the period, prescribed for filing such document. 49 /Footnote/ 47 Regs.
§301.7502-1(d)(3)(i). The IRS may enter into an agreement with an
electronic return transmitter or prescribe in forms, instructions, or
other appropriate guidance the procedures under which the electronic
return transmitter is authorized to provide taxpayers with an electronic
postmark to acknowledge the date and time that the electronic return
transmitter received the electronically filed document. Regs.
§301.7502-1(d)(2). §301.7502-1(d) Electronically
filed documents-- Refund Claims and the Saturday-Sunday-Holiday Rule of Sec. 7503When the last day prescribed by federal tax law for per- forming an act falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, Sec. 7503 treats performance as timely if the act is performed on the next succeeding day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.
In two revenue rulings issued almost 40 years apart, the IRS explored the effect of the Saturday-Sunday-holiday rule on the limitation periods applicable to refund claims. Limitation Periods Sec. 6511 provides two limitation periods. The first determines whether a claim for refund is timely; the second determines how much money, if any, can be refunded to the taxpayer, assuming its claim is meritorious. Both limitation periods must be satisfied, because a timely refund claim would be pointless if the taxpayer could not obtain the requested refund. Sec. 6511(a) provides that in order for a refund claim to be timely it must be filed within three years from the time the relevant return was filed, or two years from the date the tax was paid, whichever is later. As shown in the following example, the interplay between this rule and Sec. 7503 is fairly straightforward.
Sec. 6511(b) limits the amount that may be refunded. If a taxpayer files a refund claim within three years from the date its return was filed, Sec. 6511(b)(2)(A) provides that the amount of the refund shall not exceed the amount of tax paid during a lookback period that begins on the date the refund claim is filed. The lookback period is three years, plus the period of any extension of time obtained by the taxpayer for filing the relevant return. The interplay between this rule and Sec. 7503 can be complicated. In Example 2, a refund claim filed on Monday, March 17, 2008, would be timely with respect to an original return that was filed on March 15, 2005. However, applying the lookback rule of Sec. 6511(b)(2)(A) to that situation appears to present a problem for the taxpayer. Tracing back three years from March 17, 2008, only gets to March 17, 2005, and under Sec. 6513(b) the taxpayer’s estimated tax payments for 2004 (as well as any withholding and prior year’s overpayment applied to 2004 estimated tax) are deemed to have been paid on March 15, 2005, which is outside the lookback period. Rev. Rul. 66-118 The IRS took a pragmatic approach to the situation presented in Example 2 in Rev. Rul. 66-118. While acknowledging that nothing in Sec. 7503 affects the time when tax is paid or deemed paid, the IRS held that imposing the limitation of Sec. 6511(b)(2)(A) “would obviously nullify the full effectiveness” of Sec. 7503. Accordingly, the IRS ruled that Sec. 7503 not only makes the refund claim filed on the Monday at issue timely, but for purposes of the lookback rule of Sec. 6511(b) the filing of the claim is considered to have occurred on the preceding Saturday (i.e., on the actual due date). As a result, the date on which the taxpayer’s withholding credits are deemed paid falls within the lookback period. Rev. Rul. 2003-41 Rev. Rul. 2003-41 provides guidance on three other factual situations involving refund claims and Sec. 7503. First, if the due date of a return falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday but the taxpayer files its return before the due date (and is not relying on the “timely mailing equals timely filing” rule under Sec. 7502), Sec. 7503 does not apply. Instead, under Sec. 6513(a), the return will be deemed to be filed on the actual due date. Accordingly, in order to be timely, a refund claim must be filed within three years of the actual due date. Second, if the due date of a return falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday and the taxpayer files a valid extension for the return but fails to file its return by the extended due date, for purposes of the “three year plus extensions” lookback period of Sec. 6511(b)(2)(A), Sec. 7503 is not treated as having extended the return’s due date. For example, assume the facts are the same as in Example 1, except the taxpayer does not file the return until March 31, 2008. Because Sec. 6513(b) treats withholding and estimated tax payments as having been paid as of the actual unextended due date of the return (Saturday, March 15, 2008), in order to obtain a refund the taxpayer must file its claim by March 15, 2011. A refund claim filed on March 17, 2011, creates something of a paradox. The claim would be timely (since it would be filed within three years of March 31, 2008, the date on which the taxpayer actually filed its 2007 return), but a refund attributable to excess withholding or estimated tax payments would be barred by Sec. 6511(b)(2)(A) because tracing back three years from the March 17, 2011, claim date only gets to March 17, 2008. Since the taxpayer did not file its return on Monday, March 17, 2008, Sec. 7503 is not treated as providing the two-day extension necessary to bring the deemed payment date of March 15, 2008, within the lookback period of Sec. 6511(b)(2)(A). Third, if the due date of a return falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday and the taxpayer files its return on the next succeeding day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, Sec. 7503 applies and is treated as having extended the due date of the return to that next succeeding day. For example, assume again the facts from Example 1. In this situation, Sec. 7503 is treated as having extended the due date from Saturday, March 15, 2008, to Monday, March 17, 2008. As a result, a refund claim filed on March 17, 2011, would be both timely and effective to obtain a refund. The claim would be timely because it would be filed exactly three years after the return was filed. The taxpayer’s estimated and/or withholding tax payments would be refundable because the date on which they were deemed paid—March 15, 2008—falls within the lookback period of Sec. 6511(b)(2)(A). As in the second situation addressed by Rev. Rul. 2003-41, tracing back three years from the March 17, 2011, claim date only gets to March 17, 2008, but here the taxpayer did file its return on that date. Therefore, Sec. 7503 is treated as providing the two-day extension necessary to bring the deemed payment date of March 15, 2008, within the lookback period of Sec. 6511(b)(2)(A). From Michael A. Urban, J.D., MLT, Washington, DC
Tax Mama's I can do it myself, thank you!
Smart
Money's Finding a Tax Pro What's needed to get started
right away? |
||
Tax Deduction Reminder Your fees may be tax deductible as an investment expense under IRS Sections 67 and 212 as an Investor to the extent that miscellaneous itemized deductions exceed 2% of your adjusted gross income. Alternatively they are fully tax deductible under Trader Status as a business expense by most corporations and trade or businesses under Section 162 of the IRS Code. |
||
http://traderstatus.com/harryrapkin.htm
http://traderstatus.com/harryrapkin.htm
http://traderstatus.com/harryrapkin2.htm
Last updated:
September 02, 2011 TraderStatus™, TradersTaxPlan™, TradersAdvantage™, TraderStatus.com™, TradersTaxPlan.com™, TradersAdvantage.com™, DoYourOwnDaytraderTaxes™, DoYourOwnTaxes™, DoingYourOwnTaxes™, DoYourOwnDaytraderTaxes.com™, DoYourOwnTaxes.com™, DoingYourOwnTaxes.com™, DoYourTaxesOnline™, DoYourOwnTaxesOnline™, DoYourTaxesOnline.com™, and DoYourOwnTaxesOnline.com™ are trademarks and service marks of Colin M. Cody, CPA and TraderStatus.com, LLC, Trumbull Connecticut Copyright© 2007, 2008 & 2011 Colin M. Cody, CPA and TraderStatus.com, LLC, All Rights Reserved |