Form 3520 mailing with USPS Priority Mail + Certified (no return receipt)

[Daminal531]

I received a large amount of foreign gift, $500K and thanks to the abundance information on this forum, I learned about and prepared myself the form 3520 information return . My deadline is 10/15 to file this 3520.

I'm ready to mail it to IRS but since the penalty is severe, and that I have never physically mailed anything to IRS, I hope to get guidance that I'm doing this right:

1. Per 3520 instruction, address will be

Internal Revenue Service Center
P.O. Box 409101
Ogden, UT 84409


2. I will use Priority Mail flat rate envelope (legal letter size 15" x91/2") + Certified Mail.


My questions are:
1. By using Certified Mail, as long as I send it out before 10/15 with the certified recipe from the post office, I'm off the hook, even if IRS doesn't receive it before 10/15. Is this right?

2. By using Priority Mail flat rate, I can get the tracking from Priority mail so I can actually see it's delivered (even tho that's just USPS's words). Is this right?

3. Since I also purchase Certified Mail for my Priority mail, it requires a signature to receive it. My confusion is that will IRS 3520 PO Box have someone there actually sign it? If not what will happen? Will USPS be just unable to deliver the mail because no one signs it at the P.O. Box?

4. Is it a good idea to add Return Receipt? i.e., Priority Mail + Certified Mail + Return Receipt. Having an official Return Receipt at hand does give me peace of mind that I did it right. But I think the concern is the same as above, if no one at IRS 3520 form PO Box is signing it.. what does Return Receipt even mean to begin with




Thank you so much in advance,

[talzara]

My questions are:
1. By using Certified Mail, as long as I send it out before 10/15 with the certified recipe from the post office, I'm off the hook, even if IRS doesn't receive it before 10/15. Is this right?

2. By using Priority Mail flat rate, I can get the tracking from Priority mail so I can actually see it's delivered (even tho that's just USPS's words). Is this right?

3. Since I also purchase Certified Mail for my Priority mail, it requires a signature to receive it. My confusion is that will IRS 3520 PO Box have someone there actually sign it? If not what will happen? Will USPS be just unable to deliver the mail because no one signs it at the P.O. Box?

4. Is it a good idea to add Return Receipt? i.e., Priority Mail + Certified Mail + Return Receipt. Having an official Return Receipt at hand does give me peace of mind that I did it right. But I think the concern is the same as above, if no one at IRS 3520 form PO Box is signing it.. what does Return Receipt even mean to begin with

Certified mail is legal proof of filing, regardless of whether the mail actually arrives at the IRS. When the post office stamps your certified mail receipt, make sure the date is legible.

Each IRS processing center is assigned a 5-digit ZIP code and acts as its own post office. The IRS will perform many functions on behalf of the USPS, but it will not do anything that it doesn't want to do.

Certified mail will be scanned by an IRS employee, not a USPS employee. If a return receipt postcard is attached, the IRS employee will stamp it in the signature block and mail it back.

Priority Mail will not be scanned on delivery because the IRS doesn't want to do it.

[Daminal531]

I went to a local USPS and clarified this:

The Certified Mail tracking will override Priority Mail tracking. But Priority Mail will still ensure that delivery is within 2-3 days

There won't be someone signing at the IRS P.O. Box but what likely would happen is the destination post office will combine all mails into one barcode and as long as that barcode is scanned, it's considered a "signature".

Very few people in their experience used Return Receipt for IRS forms.

[Daminal531]

Certified mail will be scanned by an IRS employee, not a USPS employee. If a return receipt postcard is attached, the IRS employee will stamp it in the signature block and mail it back.

Priority Mail will not be scanned on delivery because the IRS doesn't want to do it.

Thank you talzara, I take it as Priority Mail alone will not be scanned upon delivery because well they don't want to

But I do want to take advantage of the short delivery time of Priority Mail and I understand that Certified Mail can be applied to Priority Mail. My hope is that with Priority mail's envelope + Certified Mail, IRS will just treat it as Certified Mail, and will eventually scan it and stamp the signature block if I also provide Return Receipt. Basically I pay a bit extra money to get the speed of Priority mail but to IRS, it'd just be treated as Certified Mail, do the scanning as you mentioned.

Does that sound right? Or you think something will go wrong if I do both Priority Mail envelope + Certified Mail (rather than just a few more dollars), so I should just go Certified Mail only.


Thank you again

[talzara]

But I do want to take advantage of the short delivery time of Priority Mail and I understand that Certified Mail can be applied to Priority Mail. My hope is that with Priority mail's envelope + Certified Mail, IRS will just treat it as Certified Mail, and will eventually scan it and stamp the signature block if I also provide Return Receipt. Basically I pay a bit extra money to get the speed of Priority mail but to IRS, it'd just be treated as Certified Mail, do the scanning as you mentioned.

Does that sound right? Or you think something will go wrong if I do both Priority Mail envelope + Certified Mail (rather than just a few more dollars), so I should just go Certified Mail only.

You don't need speed. The postmark date is the date you filed the return.