Mail while snowbirding

I don't know what the rules are now for corporations, I've been retired for 7 years. :C

You are correct with providing an accountant permission to handle income tax issues directly, that is what we have done. It's essentially a Power of Attorney for taxation declaration and processing; I have one for Revenue Canada and another for Revenu Quebec.

I also access my home (Montreal) voicemail a couple times a day when we are in South Carolina. Although I have never had any calls from Revenue Canada, I have had Revenu Quebec call and I was glad I got a heads up.

... Eric

Backer Packer said: "I'm actually fortunate to have an accountant that handles my income taxes and any issues. We're usually back home by April when I get to see what's in the mail. When I mentioned doing taxes online I was thinking of my property taxes that come due in January of each year."

BP, We have a chartered accountant do ours as well, and I should have said that he files electronically for us. Going through the hassles I learned that Revenue Canada communicates with you by mail or phone, not the accountant unless you fill in paperwork that allows the accountant to view the paperwork RC sent you. The paperwork you file to allow this is also time limited, again for your protection.

Not sure if there is a different system for corporations etc.

Post Office will only hold for 30 days. Last year we tried the Premium Hold service from the Post Office. It's a little pricey, but it worked well. Every Wednesday they would Priority Mail us whatever accumulated for the week. It arrived by Friday. The resort we stay at doesn't accept USPS, UPS, etc. We had the Post Office forward to family near by.

Last year it was a good thing we did do it. My wife got summoned for jury duty while we were away. She was due to report the day we checked out.

-Michael

almcc wrote:

PackerBacker wrote:

joebedford wrote:
Put it on hold. Nothing important comes in the mail anymore (for us).

Same for us. We've done everything online for several years now, banking, taxes etc...; really no need for mail over 3-4 months time span.

You have been lucky!

Last year I got a call from Revenue Canada In March while in Tucson enjoying dinner at a restaurant.demanding a payment arrangement for $8,000 in unpaid taxes that they said I owed for the previous year's tax return (needless to say it soured my appetite for the meal!), I file electronically and a T-slip from from an employer got lost in the mail to RC. They had sent a letter to my home a couple of months earlier. As you probably know, Revenue Canada doesn't communicate to us electronically via E-mail or the net. In the end it cost $125 for interest payments after they admitted to the screw up, I could continue to fight it but it's not worth the hassle

One reason why I try to have brown envelopes flagged, scanned and forwarded!

I'm actually fortunate to have an accountant that handles my income taxes and any issues. We're usually back home by April when I get to see what's in the mail. When I mentioned doing taxes online I was thinking of my property taxes that come due in January of each year.

PackerBacker wrote:

joebedford wrote:
Put it on hold. Nothing important comes in the mail anymore (for us).

Same for us. We've done everything online for several years now, banking, taxes etc...; really no need for mail over 3-4 months time span.

You have been lucky!

Last year I got a call from Revenue Canada In March while in Tucson enjoying dinner at a restaurant.demanding a payment arrangement for $8,000 in unpaid taxes that they said I owed for the previous year's tax return (needless to say it soured my appetite for the meal!), I file electronically and a T-slip from from an employer got lost in the mail to RC. They had sent a letter to my home a couple of months earlier. As you probably know, Revenue Canada doesn't communicate to us electronically via E-mail or the net. In the end it cost $125 for interest payments after they admitted to the screw up, I could continue to fight it but it's not worth the hassle

One reason why I try to have brown envelopes flagged, scanned and forwarded!

I thought that I would be smart (not!) this winter and try to open a PO Box at the USPS post office here where we are staying for the winter. The USPS wanted a house deed to open a PO box for us (who carries a house deed with them on the road??). Apparently there were work arounds available but the unhelpful lady at the desk didn't suggest any.

I gave up, our house checker collects our mail, worst case is that she will mail any important looking (brown envelope) mail to our daughter who will scan and e-mail it to us.

It's interesting that the public mail services in the US and Canada don't help themselves to at least survive in these days of declining usage.

Naio wrote:
My experience is that post office forwarding is extremely unreliable.

As my carrier explained it to me, when you fill out the forwarding form a note is sent to the carrier. They may not read it. Or there me be a sub one day, who has no idea of the form you filled out months earlier. Or two carriers may share your route and only one of them gets the note.

When I go, I put a note (and I use a whole sheet of paper, not a little scrap of paper that can easily get misplaced) and explain in detail (1) last day to deliver (2) day to resume delivery, if known. (3) I sign it with a return address sticker and leave it in our mailbox. Our carrier and his substitute take care of it, no problem - ever.

We use a mail forwarding service (America's mailbox) that also gives us a "local"(SD) address. When we travel a phone call or e-mail to them changes our location for mail to go to. Works well for full timers!

When we use to move around a lot (it's been about four years ago, so things may have changed) I did the following.

1. Move everything you can think of to online banking, and e-mail notification;
2. Go to the PO and tell them you will be on the road and would like to put your mail on hold (and tell them the following);
3. When you want your mail pick a park that you plan on being at about a week out;
4. Call the park and ask if you can have mail sent there;
5. Call the PO and tell them the address of the Park you want the bundle sent too;
6. A week later show up at the park and wait for the mail if it isn't there.

The above can also work with "general delivery" to an on route PO. With that option if you have to hit the road prior to getting the mail you can have them send the bundle back to the original PO for another attempt.

Sprink-Fitter wrote:

Bill/Diana wrote:
For meds we contact our supplier and obtain an advance vacation supply before leaving home that will cover the duration of our outing.

Didn't they ask about there mail?

I get the vacation supply of meds mailed to the house before we leave for the trip.