Using P.O. Box Number For Customer

[photoman]

I have a client that has ask me to use their P. O. Box Number as their address on the tax return. The street address they live at and rent has no mail box. She has all mail sent to her P. O. Box. I have street addresses on other clients. Has anyone used P.O. Boxes. First for me.

[S T]

PO Box

I have frequently used PO Box addresses on t/p returns over the years. Have not had an issue.

Some rural areas are only a PO Box and do not deliver to the physical
Some clients use a PO Box because of issues such as mail theft, etc at the street address
Some clients use a PO Box because ????

Sandy

[BHoffman]

I also have several rural clients who have a PO box mailing address. Never a problem. The post office is supposed to have your physical address on file and I suppose the IRS could get that information.

[DTS]

PO Boxes

I use them all the time and have for years with no problems.

D

[thomtax]

I have had the same P O Box for over 35 years and file every year using it. For about the first 15, they did not deliver to my home. After they started delivery to my area, I did not put a box up until about 5 years ago. I don't want my mail laying around all day, or longer if I am gone, for someone to pick through and accept a credit card offer for me. It was only after the banking rule changes after 9-11 that I finally put a physical one in. And there has never been a problem with the IRS.

LT

[taxea]

The IRS rule is the street address must appear on the tax return unless the mail is not delivered there.
When this is the case I put the PO Box first and the street addres in ()'s.

[erchess]

Tax EA

I also thought that was the rule but do you have a cite? Even a Pub would be more than I have now.

[taxea]

Erchess- sorry I got the info verbally from IRS years ago. I don't remember seeing it in any pub. If I run across it I will let you know.

[David1980]

I also thought that was the rule but do you have a cite? Even a Pub would be more than I have now.

How about the 1040 instructions?

Bottom left page 14:

"P.O. Box
Enter your box number only if your post office does not deliver mail to your home."

[taxea]

Thanks Dave...I looked it up to and it would be clearer if they had said "can not deliver to your home" rather than does not. My understanding is that the rule was put into place for areas where the post office does not make deliveries.
To make this clearer.....if the post office delivers mail on your street and you opt to not have home delivery, you still have to put your street address on the return. This is why I put the PO Box first....then the street address on the return. When the IRS mails anything to the taxpayer, the PO Box will appear on their address label.
Post office doesn't like it when only the street address is on mail to persons that have boxes....it makes more work for them...
My way...everybody is happy.

[photoman]

Thanks Found Answer

I have a client that has ask me to use their P. O. Box Number as their address on the tax return. The street address they live at and rent has no mail box. She has all mail sent to her P. O. Box. I have street addresses on other clients. Has anyone used P.O. Boxes. First for me.

After all your responses found it narrowed me into the pub 17 and found on page 18 bottom left. Thanks

[Jiggers]

P O Box delivery

[QUOTE=taxea;91902]
Post office doesn't like it when only the street address is on mail to persons that have boxes....it makes more work for them...
QUOTE]

You are lucky. If you have your mail delivered to a P O Box in my small community, and only a street address is used on the envelope, the mail is returned.

The mail clerks are instructed not to take from one side of the sorting room to the other side and put in their P O Box.

I use a P O Box for all my mail, home and business. But I have a mail box at home and a mail receptical at my business. Because if the street address is used and there is no P O Box, the mail carrier cannot put in my P O Box, he must deliver it. Takes more time to deliver it than put in my P O Box. But that is why the P O is in a mess.

[thomtax]

This is why I put the PO Box first....then the street address on the return. When the IRS mails anything to the taxpayer, the PO Box will appear on their address label.

If you do this, then you are effectively ignoring the clients wishes. The post office delivers mail to the address line next above the city, state, zip. By putting the PO Box first, you are assuring it will not go to the box. Because my office is not open every day during the off season, I have all business mail addressed to the P O Box. If not, it gets returned to the sender, or in the case of subscriptions, thrown away. I have some places that insist on doing things this way, listing the box first. I then cease doing business with them. If they will not send it to me without me having to do extra work for it, they do not want my business.

My way...everybody is happy.

Quite the opposite - no one is happy except the person that insisted on doing it their way.

LT

[PIGLEE]

I use PO Boxes on most of my clients, and myself, and no problem. I have a PO Box for USPS mail, and a street address for UPS, etc. Well my Tax Book CD, was returned to The Tax Book, because they had my street address, so the post office returned it, and they know who I am. I try to put give people both address when they give me the space.

If people want to receive their refunds, and any IRS notices, they had better use their PO Box address.

[Lion]

PO Box

I use the address where clients receive mail; if that's a PO Box, that's what I use. However, when I worked for a firm that did RALs, the bank regulations required the physical address on the RAL paperwork; still was fine to use PO Box on the return, though.