# EFTPS / Sindicato Justo Sierra ?



## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

We make quarterly tax payments to the IRS via EFTPS (online transfer). 

We have a PO box in Mexico which we check very infrequently. Today we received a letter dated April 1st from EFTPS which has the return address of Sindicato Justo Sierra, CDMX with a Correos de Mexico postage stamp on it dated May 9th. The envelope has a label placed over the original return address and the original postage was a typical US Presorted bulk rate postage.

Sindicato Justo Sierra translates as Fair Trade Union.

The enclosed letter is in English and really inconsequential and does not appear to have been opened. It has our correct mailing address pulled off this years tax filing (which is different from last year). 

We receive very little snail mail any more - and perhaps this is a good reason not to. 

Has anyone else received mail with a return address of Sindicato Justo Sierra ? Is it that the IRS screwed up in treating our address as a US address ?


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

It appears that someone did you a favor, since US bulk postage is not forwarded, and definitely not valid for international mail.
You might use the return address sticker to send them a “Gracias“; maybe with some Mexican postage stamps included.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

horseshoe846 said:


> We make quarterly tax payments to the IRS via EFTPS (online transfer).
> 
> We have a PO box in Mexico which we check very infrequently. Today we received a letter dated April 1st from EFTPS which has the return address of Sindicato Justo Sierra, CDMX with a Correos de Mexico postage stamp on it dated May 9th. The envelope has a label placed over the original return address and the original postage was a typical US Presorted bulk rate postage.
> 
> ...


"Sierra" means either mountain range or saw, not fair trade. (Fair trade is "comercio justo".) I suspect in this context Sierra means the mountains. In a quick Google search, there appear to be both labour unions and teacher unions under this SJS banner. I suspect RVGringo is right. Some union member performed a random act of kindness in forwarding this letter to you.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

ojosazules11 said:


> "Sierra" means either mountain range or saw, not fair trade. (Fair trade is "comercio justo".) I suspect in this context Sierra means the mountains. In a quick Google search, there appear to be both labour unions and teacher unions under this SJS banner. I suspect RVGringo is right. Some union member performed a random act of kindness in forwarding this letter to you.


I suspect Justo Sierra refers to this man: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justo_Sierra


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

Well here is the complete return address off the envelope:

Sindicato Justo Sierra
Camino Viejo a los Reyes 20
Edif H-3 Depto 104
Col. UH Valle de Luces
Iztap CDMX CP 09800

I am amazed that it made it to Mexico City with nothing more than a presorted postage 'stamp'. 

The enclosed letter was a form letter and had no personal info other than our Mexican mailing address (a PO box).

My first thought was that the IRS was smart enough to realize that there a lot of Americans living in Mexico and they struck a deal with someone in Mexico to slap Mexican postage on our (and other's envelopes) in bulk. 

At one point I was concerned that the IRS was 'getting into bed with' a Mexican entity to help conduct its business. 

The bright spot in all this is that EFTPS previously had our old PO Box address and wanted us to really go through hoops to change the address (or wait until they picked it up off our tax return). Which apparently they did.

Here's a question for you - those of you who are collecting pensions or social security - do you make quarterly estimated tax payments to the IRS ?

Ojos : you would not want to be in Tepoz this weekend. Lots of protesting regarding highway expansion. I believe they had the entrance to Tepoz closed for 5 hours yesterday...


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

horseshoe846 said:


> Here's a question for you - those of you who are collecting pensions or social security - do you make quarterly estimated tax payments to the IRS ?


I collect a small pension and social security. Except for last year, when I did some free-lance work for clients in the States, I never end up owing the IRS any money, ¡gracias a Dios!


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

horseshoe846 said:


> Here's a question for you - those of you who are collecting pensions or social security - do you make quarterly estimated tax payments to the IRS ?
> 
> …


I do.


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

TundraGreen said:


> I do.


And do you use EFTPS to make those payments ?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

horseshoe846 said:


> And do you use EFTPS to make those payments ?


I do, although I am a little concerned. You have to give them the address on your tax return to make a payment and it has to be a US address. I no longer use a US address on my tax returns so I am not sure I will be able to use the system in the future.


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

TundraGreen said:


> I do, although I am a little concerned. You have to give them the address on your tax return to make a payment and it has to be a US address. I no longer use a US address on my tax returns so I am not sure I will be able to use the system in the future.


I no longer use a US address on our tax returns and they seem to have made whatever modifications they need to make. The only contact I have had with EFTPS are the email confirmations and the inconsequential 'Regulation X' mailings. 

They always seem to have no problem pulling our payment from our bank


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

horseshoe846 said:


> Ojos : you would not want to be in Tepoz this weekend. Lots of protesting regarding highway expansion. I believe they had the entrance to Tepoz closed for 5 hours yesterday...


I know. My husband is in Tepoz and he told me. It's because on Friday they cut down all the beautiful jacarandas lining the figure 8 glorieta at the entrance to Tepoztlán. Apparently it's all part of clearing the way for the _ampliación_ (widening of the highway Mexico City to Cuautla). The townspeople didn't know this was going to happen - if they had I have no doubt they would have been out in force to block it. If you saw the pictures where they had tree trunks and branches barricading the highway, those were from our jacarandas. I'm not sure how many jacarandas there were, I think around 20 or 30, all gone like that. They were quite old, still vigorous and beautiful, gracing our coming in and going out. 

In our _barrio_ (San Pedro) cutting a tree without proper permission merits a $30,000 fine. Tepoztlán is located within the protected Tepozteco National Park, as well as forming part of the Chichinautzin corridor, which is also a federally protected, ecologically sensitive region. Apparently the contractors working on the highway have authorization to cut down 2,825 trees in this sensitive area. While the people protesting can't bring back the jacarandas, they are trying to protect other trees.

I am going to miss our jacarandas. 😢


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

My husband just told me there were closer to 50-70 jacarandas chopped down. And with all the other trees, around 200 trees total were cut. The glorieta at the entrance to our _Pueblo Mágico _now looks barren and desolate. The barricades and protests continue, although they are letting some vehicles through...


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

ojosazules11 said:


> My husband just told me there were closer to 50-70 jacarandas chopped down. And with all the other trees, around 200 trees total were cut. The glorieta at the entrance to our _Pueblo Mágico _now looks barren and desolate. The barricades and protests continue, although they are letting some vehicles through...


So then by the Pemex ? That is nowhere near 115D. I can't imagine why they need to expand that area. Or do you mean the area where 115D exits into Tepoz ? For some reason it feels like someone has some big plans for Cuatla - like Disney is going to open Disney Mexico there or something. 

We went out earlier this morning to do our grocery shopping. There was actually a bus in our little town with a destination of DEMONSTRACION. Quite a few people were lined up to get on board.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

horseshoe846 said:


> So then by the Pemex ? That is nowhere near 115D. I can't imagine why they need to expand that area. Or do you mean the area where 115D exits into Tepoz ? For some reason it feels like someone has some big plans for Cuatla - like Disney is going to open Disney Mexico there or something.
> 
> We went out earlier this morning to do our grocery shopping. There was actually a bus in our little town with a destination of DEMONSTRACION. Quite a few people were lined up to get on board.


Exactly. The glorieta right near the Pemex, NOT where 115D exits. I can't figure out either why those trees needed to be taken out. This is quite close to our house, so we would pass these jacarandas anytime we come in or out of Tepoz.


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