# Sending a Paper Tax Return to the IRS from Canada



## Lotsofquestions (Mar 22, 2017)

I'm outside the US and I cannot e-file, so I need to send a paper return to the IRS. 

I see that the IRS will accept tax returns by *private delivery service* (*FedEx, UPS, or DHL Express ONLY*), in which case the return must be sent to a special address: Internal Revenue Submission Processing Center, 3651 S IH35, Austin TX 78741 USA. That's one option.

Several tax-related sites suggest using "*Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested.*" However, I don't think Canada has that exact same mail service. Does anyone know? Also, I cannot find information about where exactly to snail mail the return if using certified mail with a return receipt. Would a return sent that way be accepted at the regular address for foreign returns (Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Austin, TX 73301-0215 USA), or is there a special address for certified mail?

If anyone has experience sending a paper return from Canada using either secure postal mail or a private delivery service, please let me know. Thank you.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Have long sent postal mail returns in from France - and the only thing I can tell you is that sending it certified, return receipt requested is just a waste of money. The address for mailing from "overseas" is indicated in the instructions (or in Pub. 54 if you prefer) but no one on the receiving end will acknowledge receipt of the mailed return. (Though whatever receipt you have from the local post office would theoretically "prove" that you did indeed mail it.)


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## Lotsofquestions (Mar 22, 2017)

Bevdeforges said:


> Have long sent postal mail returns in from France - and the only thing I can tell you is that sending it certified, return receipt requested is just a waste of money.


I can believe it. It's just that with plain old mail service I'm always wondering if the darn thing ever got there. Last year, I had a small refund coming and it took close to 8 months for the refund to appear in my bank account. Only then did I know that my return had been received.

One other follow-up question... As someone "married filing separately" with a NRA spouse who doesn't have a SSN/TIN, am I still unable to use e-filing this year? Or is there now some way of doing it?


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## Moulard (Feb 3, 2017)

Lotsofquestions said:


> I'm outside the US and I cannot e-file, so I need to send a paper return to the IRS.


What makes it that you cannot e-file? 

I ask because this year I am well behind the eightball.. I have heard of more security changes this year but have not started to investigate.

Two factor authentication nearly stopped me last year until I found a provider who supported more than just a US Phone Number for SMS (the provider I found made it look like a US Phone number was mandatory.. but in fact it was not, and they also supported an authenticator app as an alternative. )

One fall back I have seriously considered in the past when it looked like hurdles would make efiling impossible was Free Fillable Forms.

The form limitations were such that I would not be able to do a complete return, but I did seriously consider at one point filing a partial return and then followup with a paper amended return with the attachments that were requirement but couldn't be, due to the limit on attachments.




Lotsofquestions said:


> One other follow-up question... As someone "married filing separately" with a NRA spouse who doesn't have a SSN/TIN, am I still unable to use e-filing this year? Or is there now some way of doing it?


That may will vary by e-file partner. I recall hearing a few years ago of a provider who did support the instructions, but who knows if that remains the case now.

You really would need to do research, ask help desks etc for confirmation before diving in with any of them.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Last I knew, even Free File Fillable forms required a spouse's SSN in order to file married, filing separately. Although, given that the ITINs are now of limited duration, you might want to try again to see if that has been fixed. 

As far as providers (I assume you mean tax preparation software) are concerned - several years back the provider I used even had a box to tick for "MFS - NRA spouse" which set up the forms to indicate this. But when you were all done, you could e-file the forms, however it was the IRS rejecting them because of the lack of a SSN for the spouse. 

Unfortunately, the IRS doesn't offer any sort of acknowledgment of the receipt of your returns, other than maybe through their "Where's My Refund" thing on the website. And it is becoming increasingly difficult to access any of those sorts of functions if you live overseas. Hence, the most "reasonable" approach may be to simply send things in via normal mail, keeping a copy or two of the forms you have sent in, and just assume things are getting there. (Oh, and try to do your returns so that you don't "overpay" and need a refund, cause it will be a LONG time coming.)


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## Lotsofquestions (Mar 22, 2017)

> Moulard wrote:
> What makes it that you cannot e-file?


Clarification -- Sorry. That was just my assumption based on previous year hassles with the NRA thing and having to paper file.



> Bevdeforges wrote:
> ...you could e-file the forms, however it was the IRS rejecting them because of the lack of a SSN for the spouse.


I guess that's the main determining factor. I'll just have to try now that I've entered all the information. 

Thus far, OLT has been OK for my situation, and it was free for me. I don't have a US phone number, and nothing stopped me registering, completing the forms, etc. There were boxes to check/uncheck regarding things like giving out a phone number. 

I actually like OLT's multiple security checks for user name, password, security code, PIN, and even a code sent by email; it feels much more secure than other sites I've tried, including the IRS free fillable forms.


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## Moulard (Feb 3, 2017)

Hey Lots...

I happen to use OLT and was going to recommend them as a good starting place to look... so glad you found them on your own.

I moved to them last year for the first time after TaxAct basically made it impossible for me to use them... (I had been using their download product for years)

I still puzzle over how TaxAct could argue that accepting foreign credit cards was a security risk when there is effectively an air gap between tax and payment systems (or should be)

But I digress..

FWIW I also found the OLT help desk super responsive 

I don't generally call them out by name as a recommendation but they are one of the more expat friendly providers out there.


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