The Fourteen Common Tax Filing Errors

Mistake #14: Not putting enough postage on the envelope
You cut it close, but you made the filing deadline. Or did you? If your return included a lot of supporting documents, it probably needed more than one stamp. If you overlooked that, you'll probably be seeing your 1040 again soon. The Internal Revenue Service has no funds to pay for postage due and you can bet that return-swamped agents aren't going to pay the postal charge out of the goodness their own hearts. If you don't put enough stamps -- or forget to put any -- on the envelope, your return will be on its way back to you. And that envelope marked "Insufficient Postage, Return to Sender" is very likely to cost you more than 37 cents. In the best-case scenario, that will mean a delayed refund and possibly a late filing penalty. Worst case: a late-filed return and, if you owe tax, associated penalties and interest. So make sure the envelope has enough postage, especially if you have a lot of forms. It's also a good idea to make sure that the addresses -- both your return address and the IRS processing center one -- are clear so the envelope won't go astray in the mail. The IRS considers your return delivered by the U.S. Postal Service as long as when it is received it has an April 15 postmark on the envelope. If you want added assurance that your tax return made it safely to the IRS, the post office offers verification services for an extra charge. Or you can send your return through an IRS-approved overnight delivery service:
•	Airborne Express
•	DHL Worldwide Express
•	Federal Express
•	United Parcel Service
If you use one of these companies, the tax collector deems your return as "timely filed" based on the date entered on the address form by the delivery company when it picks up your package. Be sure to use the correct IRS delivery address if you use an overnight service. These services do not deliver items to P.O. boxes, such as the one on your preprinted tax return envelope. Instead, check the back page of your tax form instruction book or this Bankrate story. There you'll find a list of the nation's IRS Service Centers. Find the one where tax returns for your state are processed and put that address on your private delivery service form.
Mistake #13: Missing the deadline to request an extension
You say you still haven't mailed your 1999 federal income tax return? If you owe the government money and procrastinate much longer, watch out or you may get socked with additional unwanted fees. If you don't pay your taxes when they're due, you may be subject to a failure-to-pay penalty of 0.5 percent of your unpaid taxes for each month the tax isn't paid. To avoid that, you better move fast. The most important task at hand is to file something with the IRS before this year's April 17 deadline. If you're unable to complete the appropriate Form 1040 before the clock strikes 12, at least submit the form to get an automatic extension of time to file. To get the four-month extension, complete and file Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. By filing the extension, you avoid the late filing penalty. However, Form 4868 does not extend the time to pay your income tax. So, what you need to do is estimate your tax for 1999 and send the amount due with your Form 4868. If you can't pay it all, at least pay whatever amount you can. Keep in mind that you'll owe interest on the unpaid amount. For U.S. citizens and residents who aren't living in the United States on April 17, there are special filing and extension rules. For more information, refer to Publication 54, Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad

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