Tax Season Tips

Tax day is less than a week away. Have you filed your taxes yet? If not, there are a few important things you should keep in mind. It’s never wise to wait until the last minute to do anything, but waiting to the last minute to mail in your taxes could be a costly mistake.

Many Americans file taxes electronically now, but for those of you who prefer to mail them, there’s a few things you need to make note of. We’ve compiled this list of tips when it comes to filing taxes.

1.       Please note that you can no longer pick up tax forms from a post office. Instead you need to go to the IRS website itself. This is important to note, because individuals who wait until several days beforehand to pick up their forms are going to find themselves in a panic when they can’t get them at their local post office.

2.       Don’t forget to place a return address on your envelope. This could cause your item to be sent to a postal mail recovery office to determine the sender of the mail. Of course, this will delay its return.

3.       If you are planning to deposit your tax returns in a blue collection box on April 15^th, check the pick-up schedule. To get the April 15^th postmark, your mail needs to be picked up by a postal worker that day. Having it in the mail in time does nothing for you if you mail it after the collection box has been emptied for the day.

4.       Be sure to write clearly on your envelope, or better yet, print labels. The last thing you want is to go through the work of filing taxes and have the envelope be illegible.

5.       Be sure you use the correct amount of postage. Your item may weigh more than an ounce, and IRS will not pay for postage due. This means that your filing will be returned. If your letter is over one ounce, it needs more postage.

6.       It is encouraged by the USPS that you get security proof of mailing, as well as proof of delivery. You can ask for more details at your local post office.

7.       Do not mail your tax return from a personal mailbox. Thieves are on the lookout during tax season. Be sure to mail from a secure post office or collection box.

Don’t procrastinate and be sure to get your taxes filed in time. If you still have questions, call the IRS at 1-800-TAX-1040 (1-800-829-1040). 

Decorative CBUs

Have you ever considered using decorative cluster box units instead of the more standard ones? They offer the same security as standard CBUs, but with a more attractive design. All these decorative CBUs are powercoated over durable stainless steel. Today we’re going to feature several of our different designs for your consideration.

12 Door Decorative High Security Cluster Box Unit

This stylish CBU will add appeal to new developments, and are a great way to upgrade old ones! It is available in black, bronze, green, grey, and white. It features 12 tenant doors and one parcel compartment.

16 Door Decorative High Security CBU

This beautiful CBU is easy to install, with the mounting pedestal included! Make your building look upscale with these quality decorative CBUs. This item includes 16 tenant doors plus two parcel compartments.

These two items are the main designs for our decorative CBUs. For most of our decorative mailboxes, the bases and tops are sold separately. You can follow this link to see our full selection. Consider adding some elegance and flair to your cluster box units! 

Protection From Snow Plows

We are approaching the end of February, but this month has brought harsh winter weather to much of the country. Snow and ice can last long after February, which means snow plows could be out and about even in spring. And when the plows are out, your mailboxes are in danger of being damaged.

Damage to mailboxes from plows can occur for a variety of reasons. It may be that plows cannot see a mailbox around snow banks. Mailboxes with a weak structural integrity may be damaged when snow from plows hits them. Plows may damage mailboxes because of poor conditions due to the weather. Whatever the reason, it results in a damaged or broken mailbox that needs to be replaced.

How can you avoid this fate? There are steps you may take before winter to reinforce your mailbox, but this late in the season it is likely too late for that. There are some things you can do now though to keep your mailbox as protected as possible.

Try placing an orange flag or tall post directly behind your mailbox. This flag or post should be significantly taller than your mailbox. It will be easier for a plow driver to see. The orange will stand out in poor weather, and the height will help your mailbox be seen around snow banks. If the driver can see something is on the side of the road, they are more likely to not hit and damage it.

Another way to keep your mailbox safe is to keep the area surrounding your mailbox clear. Shovel out the mailbox from all sides, not just the front. By giving a clear area of several feet in front of, behind, and next to your mailbox, snow that is pushed towards your mailbox has more space to go. Less snow will then accumulated around your mailbox, minimizing the damage.

If the ground is not too frozen, you may also consider securing your mailbox post. Your mailbox post should be made from a sturdy material. For additional strength, be sure your post is sunk down a minimum of 18”.

Use these tips to minimize the damage to your mailboxes from plows. If your mailbox is damaged, check to see if you can get it replaced for free or at a discounted price. This will vary from place to place. But hopefully with these tips, you won’t need to! 

Snow and Your Mailbox

January is underway, and for much of the country that means snow is likely in the future. Parts of the country have already had snowstorms this year. You may be distracted by the idea of clearing your car of snow, getting to work in traffic, and keeping your driveway clear, but don’t forget about your local letter carrier!

Letter carriers brave the elements all year to make sure you have your letters and packages. In spring this often means rain, in summer it often means hot temperatures, and in fall it means cooling ones. Arguably the toughest time of the year for letter carriers is winter. During winter they brave snow, harsh winds, and freezing temperatures. Do your part to make this a little easier on them by clearing snow and ice around your home.

There are some very simple steps you can take to do this:

·         Shovel your sidewalks, not just a path from your door to the street. Letter carrier’s travel along the sidewalk, so even if a path is clear to your door it’s only polite to clear the entire sidewalk.

·         Shovel your stairs. This is important not only for letter carriers, but for anyone who may come to your door during winter.

·         Shovel the area around your mailbox. Don’t make your letter carrier stretch to reach the mailbox or step in snow to deliver your mail. Be sure there is a decently sized area around your mailbox shoveled out.

·         If your sidewalks are icy use salt. Letter carriers can easily fall and get hurt due to ice, especially if it is covered by a layer of snow. Not only that, but you and your neighbors could be harmed as well.

·         Individuals who have mailboxes at their door should keep railings on stairs clear of snow and ice.

·         Be sure your mailbox is secure on its post to reduce the risk of damage from a snowplow.

·         If snow is plowed into your mailbox clear it away promptly.

If streets or walkways are too dangerous mail delivery might be delayed or curtailed. This may happen on occasion due to inclement weather, but may also happen if people do not do their part to keep streets and mailboxes clear.  

Blue collection boxes must meet those same standards, and the USPS asks that those are kept clear of snow and ice as well.

If you have further questions about mail delivery and snow conditions, the USPS site has a Q&A HERE.

Operation Santa

Photo Courtesy of USPS.com

December has arrived, and the USPS has kicked off its Operation Santa program. This program allows individuals, charities, businesses, and more to respond to letters that children have written to Santa.

This program is held at select post offices across the United States. People may go to the post office and select a letter from a child, and then are encouraged to return to the post office with a gift. Letters are often asking for items such as warm coats and gloves, toys, and presents for friends and family.

This annual program has been running every December for 102 years. It kicked off in New York City with a ceremony on December 2^nd to celebrate the start of the program for the season.

Some post offices are accepting the return of packages through Christmas Eve, though most participating locations have a cut off around mid December to give post offices ample time to deliver the gifts. Some cities that are participating this year are Cleveland, Ohio, Chicago, IL, Boston, MA, and more.

For a full list of participating post offices, including days and times of operation, click HERE. You can also read about the program on the USPS site, HERE.

We have just one more link for you. To see the USPS full list of holiday items, from resources and mailing dates to information about holiday programs, you can follow THIS LINK.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. We hope that this month is magical and special for all of our customers this year.

Letters From Santa

Do you have young ones at home who still believe in Santa? Make their Christmas extra special by assisting in them receiving a real letter back from Santa!

The USPS is offering a special program that will allow children to get letters back from the North Pole. It does take a little creative work from you, but it will be worth it to see your child’s face when they open that letter.

You will have to be sneaky and agree to mail your child’s letter, then read it and respond yourself. Be sure to reference your child’s accomplishments and remind them to sleep early on Christmas eve. Then place the letter in an envelope addressed to home, and mail that letter in a larger envelope to:

NORTH POLE HOLIDAY POSTMARK
POSTMASTER
4141 POSTMARK DR
ANCHORAGE AK 99530-9998

The postmaster will use the North Pole postmark and mail the letter you’ve written back to your home. But don’t let your children wait too long! Letters must be received by December 15^th, 2014 to make it back in time.

You can find full instructions on the USPS website HERE.

Make this Christmas extra special and memorable, and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Holiday Shipping

Christmas is under two months away, which means it is time to start thinking about shipping presents out to loved ones across the country, or even out of the country! You might be thinking that it seems a bit early to worry about this, but the U.S. Postal Service has announced their recommended holiday shipping times already!

It is always better not to wait when it comes to shipping gifts. Of course it is not always that simple. You may not have the gifts yet and cannot get them for a while. Maybe you are waiting on an address. Either way, it is always better for a gift to arrive too early, rather than too late.

Outside of mailing dates, what are some other tips when it comes to mailing holiday items? We have a few for you. The first is to be positive that the postal service can ship your items. This is rarely a problem, but it is better to be safe. Be sure to pack your items intelligently. You want a sturdy box with plenty of padding for larger items, or a bubble mailer for smaller items. No one wants your gifts to break while they are in transit. You can also save time by requesting the post office to pick up the package from you, saving yourself a trip to the post office.

In summary, don’t rush to send out your packages to loved ones right now, but don’t wait too long!

Below we’ve listed the USPS recommended shipping dates. You can get more information about shipping items at usps.com.

USPS 2014 Christmas Shipping Deadlines: 

 

• Dec. 2 – First-Class Mail International

• Dec. 2 – Priority Mail International

• Dec. 10 – Priority Mail Express International

• Dec. 15 – Standard Post

• Dec. 17 – Global Express Guaranteed

• Dec. 20 – First-Class Mail

• Dec. 20 – Priority Mail

• Dec. 23 – Priority Mail Express