Mail forwarding question -- tax papers

[amandasgramma]

Hi all. We're planning to go to Arizona for the winter by going the long way down.....playing tourist.
We've decided to try "Traveling Mailbox" to forward our mail - mainly because the address they'll give us is on the west coast. We were hoping to stay in Arizona until late April, however, we are wondering about the tax papers that come out in January -- form 1099s....... I don't have any envelopes from past years to see if they say DO NOT FORWARD. Will the post office forward them or how do you full-timers/snow-birders handle this?????

thanks in advance.

[2oldman]

amandasgramma wrote:
I hate HAVING to run back home just to do taxes.....

I know many who do. Whether they actually *have* to would be questionable.

[amandasgramma]

2Macs wrote:
Another suggestion is to find an AARP Tax-aide site in AZ and make an appointment to get your taxes done at no charge. The counselors will do your taxes and E-file them for you. You do not have to be a senior citizen to utilize the site. They prefer 50 plus and low income but will do the tax return even if you are a millionaire. Check first to see if your return will meet the requirements. They do not do certain tax forms such as schedule K royalty income.

Good idea.....I'll make note. I have a small business that I need to take papers with me then. I hate HAVING to run back home just to do taxes.....bad enough having to do them in the first place!

[2Macs]

Another suggestion is to find an AARP Tax-aide site in AZ and make an appointment to get your taxes done at no charge. The counselors will do your taxes and E-file them for you. You do not have to be a senior citizen to utilize the site. They prefer 50 plus and low income but will do the tax return even if you are a millionaire. Check first to see if your return will meet the requirements. They do not do certain tax forms such as schedule K royalty income.

[dennislanier]

My previous reply was related to normal mail forwarding by the Post Office. If you are going to use a mail forwarding service then they should send the mail to new temporary address without a problem. I assume they will re-package the mail pieces and not use the original envelope to send the mail to you.

[doxiemom11]

We changed the address on everything we have - bank accounts, property tax notices, IRS mailing, social security everything to our mail forwarding address. We use the PO box for most things, but the street address they gave us for the banks or others who insist on having a street address.

[amandasgramma]

They haven't changed Dennis. I know,3 yrs ago we had mail forwarding to Florida (?). When we got back we told our PO to not forward anymore. It took 6 weeks and me having a discussion with the Post Master to find out they had erased our request from their dry erase board BUT forgot to take it out of the computer....so everything going thru Portland was sent to Florida. !!!! GRRRRR I will do what I can to change everything.....and then will have to change again if we don't travel next year!!!!! oh well.....

[dennislanier]

The Post Office will forward all first class mail unless the SENDER places an endorsement on the envelope saying "DO NOT FORWARD". In that case the Post Office will return the mail to the sender. The sender controls whether the mail gets forwarded, not the Post Office and not the addressee. If you want to make sure your forms are forwarded you need to contact the preparer of the forms and see how they handle it. A lot of companies/government offices don't want the mail forwarded. They want the forms back to "encourage" the receiver to give them the correct mailing address. I am a retired Postal employee, so unless the rules have changed in the last 10 years that is how the Post Office handles it.

[wa8yxm]

My mail service forwards them no problem

The "Do Not Forward" statement on the envelope applies ONLY to the post office (USPS) it does not apply to your mail forwarding service which acts as your AGENT, in fact I had to sign an agency agreement so they could accept my mail and send it on to me.

[ReadyToGo]

Be careful with the SSA. They don't like mail forwarding. But it is really up to your post office to forward them to you. Our carrier has been on our route for many years and always pulls our mail and makes sure it gets forward. I know other people do not get this kind of service.

[2oldman]

amandasgramma wrote:
🙂 Is SSA online?????/

Yes, but I don't know if their tax forms are yet. Sometimes I'll just fake that from the year before. It doesn't change. Somehow I can't log in to my account anymore to see.

[crabbin_cabin]

We have been winter visitors in AZ for the last 20 years and get all our 1099s etc. thru. our SD mail forwarding service.

[amandasgramma]

🙂 Is SSA online?????/

[2oldman]

Then I would arrange for them to use whatever address you provide, wherever you are. Perhaps they'll join the 21st century soon. 🙂

[amandasgramma]

I would like to......but the companies we have our retirement thru apparently don't do online.....at least, last year they didn't.