Chowdahead Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 I have several clients who insist on using her PO Box as the address t go on their return, despite IRS instructions which state they must use their residence address. These clients live in areas or a building where they don't trust any mail going to, especially if it's a check. How do you guys handle PO Boxes? Is there another location to enter a "mailing address" in the program? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 1234 Their Street PO BOX 999 Theirtown, ST, 99999 PO will deliver to the last address listed i.e. the PO BOX. I have used it this way for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCL Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 as i read the very superficial instructions in the 1040 instruction book..."enter your box number only if your post office does not deliver mail to your home." 1) this has to be an irs suggestion/hope to be able to find a tax cheat at their home. a hint for the irs - "sorry, I MOVED!!"...or just refer to the address of any politician or investment banker they know. that should keep them busy enough. and isn't there something in the constitution or bill of rights about this? 2) i can totally understand folks who do not want mail/checks delivered to an insecure home address. 3) i have several cases in my rural and relatively secure little area of the world where the local post office defaults a mailing address to a post office box...like at "Cheers - Where everybody knows your name." 4) or, what jack said, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 I have used a P.O. Box number for years because we have to go to the post office to deliever and pick up our mail. The post office personal does not deliever mail to our physical address. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxxcpa Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 Some people use a post office since both the husband and the wife claim Head of household and don't want to show the same address. I had a client that did that. His wife used a different tax preparer, so the only way I discovered it was that, after paying me in cash the first few times, he gave me a check which was a joint account with his wife. I refused to do his taxes after that although he swore up and down that they were divorced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnH Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 I have several clients who use PO Boxes and have never encountered any sort of problem. I've always regarded the instruction as a suggestion, rather than a requirement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAXBILLY Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 Agree with JohnH. Never had a problem. taxbilly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion EA Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 When I worked for Block, they told us to use the address at which the client received mail; if that was a PO Box, that was what we were to use on the tax return. However, for their bank products, the physical address of their primary residence was required on all loan applications by the bank (maybe by homeland security), even if that did not match their mailing address. I had clients that got their mail at Mom's or a PO Box but lived elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed_accountant Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 I have a few that do this and there has never been a problem.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel in Hawaii Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 Where I live, the post office will return any mail that has the street address to the sender. IT doesn't matter if the post office box is listed on the next line, they STILL send it back. (Some postal emploees really have it in for you.) For the past 9 years I have been putting my PO box on there without any problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAXBILLY Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 As I understand the post office system, they work from the bottom up in the address. So it gets sorted by city and state, then the next line up. If the PO box is on that line then that's where it is delivered. taxbilly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 As I understand the post office system, they work from the bottom up in the address. So it gets sorted by city and state, then the next line up. If the PO box is on that line then that's where it is delivered. taxbilly You are COMPLETELY CORRECT. Also, anyone with a PO BOX will also have their street address tagged in the PO system to send mail to the PO BOX instead. Therefore, unless the Post Office makes an error (Never Happens???) any mail sent to their street address would be sent to the PO BOX instead. Source: First Hand Experience with this very situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Jani Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 Always used po box when client wants it. Never a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.