Posted 04-10-2026 at 11:23:47 [URL] [DELETE]
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Re: USPS Circling Bowl
The USPS has become completely unreliable. Even certified letters are no longer reliable. Last year I mailed 5 or 6 certified letters. One was never delivered (Fortunately, it was not one sent to the IRS, who rarely signs certified mail receipts anymore.) I was never able to get proof of delivery from the USPS website as the transaction chain simply stalled, never to update again. Upon questioning the clerk at my local office I was told: "What do you want me to do about it?" Another was sent to the IRS with an enclosed deposit check. Though it was eventually delivered (late) as evidenced by my bank statement, again, the transaction chain stalled on the USPS website and I was not able to get proof of delivery. This one was sent certified but without return receipt requested, as the IRS rarely signs such anymore. Accordingly, I was relying upon the proof of delivery from the USPS website. For those of you who do not know, the IRS electronically converts all checks despite what the payor may write on the back. As a result, there is no cancelled check for one to get from ones bank. Worse, if the check is lost or misapplied, the burden of proof of payment is on the taxpayer and the IRS requires a certified mail receipt to prove mailing date and copies of both front and back of a cancelled check to prove paymnent. The IRS does not accept bank statements as proof of payment. This puts the taxpayer in an impossible situation if a payment is lost or misapplied. Again, for those who do not know, the IRS DOES make mistakes, and the situation is rapidly worsening. This no-win situation has forced me to start making all IRS payments online, something that I do not want to do for obvious reasons. Neither the IRS nor the USPS cares.
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