Fast way to send documents

[ME4Ying]

My wife went back to China and has stayed longer than expected to attend to some family matters. I just realized that since I filed for an extension, my federal tax return is due October 15. My problem is how to get my wife¡¯s signature on the returns and back to me by that deadline. We have considered emailing the completed returns for her to sign and return to me, or having her provide a power of attorney in case some last minute changes to the returns are needed. She lives in Nanning. I would appreciate any suggestions, and also any information regarding express delivery of documents. Thanks.

[dnoblett]

My wife went back to China and has stayed longer than expected to attend to some family matters. I just realized that since I filed for an extension, my federal tax return is due October 15. My problem is how to get my wife¡¯s signature on the returns and back to me by that deadline. We have considered emailing the completed returns for her to sign and return to me, or having her provide a power of attorney in case some last minute changes to the returns are needed. She lives in Nanning. I would appreciate any suggestions, and also any information regarding express delivery of documents. Thanks.

Email a scan of form for her to sign and have her scan and email back if possible, sending the originally signed form to you via snail mail.

 

Or use an accountant to e-file this for you, the accountant will provide you with a signature form for you to have her sign and send back to you for your records.

[ME4Ying]

My wife went back to China and has stayed longer than expected to attend to some family matters. I just realized that since I filed for an extension, my federal tax return is due October 15. My problem is how to get my wife¡¯s signature on the returns and back to me by that deadline. We have considered emailing the completed returns for her to sign and return to me, or having her provide a power of attorney in case some last minute changes to the returns are needed. She lives in Nanning. I would appreciate any suggestions, and also any information regarding express delivery of documents. Thanks.

Email a scan of form for her to sign and have her scan and email back if possible, sending the originally signed form to you via snail mail.

 

Or use an accountant to e-file this for you, the accountant will provide you with a signature form for you to have her sign and send back to you for your records.

 

I don't think efile is an option since my taxes are complicated in 2009. Isn't a scanned form considered the same as a copy and isn't an orginial signiture required? Do you know anything about a power of attorney?

[Ryan H]

The little knowledge I have of power of attorney is that it must be in written form before the IRS will honor it (don't know if it has to be notarized, but I would imagine so). You would probably want a limited power of attorney, the limitation being only for the purpose of signing the tax forms for the most recent filing year.

 

To answer your question about express delivery of documents, if you were going to send them to Nanning for her signature, send them USPS Express Mail, have her send them back to you via EMS.

 

Again, take what I said with a grain salt since I don't know much about it. However, it should provide a good starting point.

Edited October 4, 2010 by Ryan H (see edit history)

[ME4Ying]

Probably the best solution is to email the return to Nanning, have her sign them and send back EMS. Any idea of the delivery time for EMS?

[dnoblett]

Probably the best solution is to email the return to Nanning, have her sign them and send back EMS. Any idea of the delivery time for EMS?

10 days to 2 weeks.

[ME4Ying]

10 day to two weeks - bummer.

[dnoblett]

10 day to two weeks - bummer.

I would go with the scanned copy, and have the originally signed one EMS to you.

 

IF IRS asks you for the original form you should have it by then.

 

In our case my accountant e filed our return, and has a scan of the signed form for the IRS, never sent a original signed form to the IRS.

[ME4Ying]

10 day to two weeks - bummer.

I would go with the scanned copy, and have the originally signed one EMS to you.

 

IF IRS asks you for the original form you should have it by then.

 

In our case my accountant e filed our return, and has a scan of the signed form for the IRS, never sent a original signed form to the IRS.

 

Sounds like the about the only option at this point. I don't know why I was thinking she could just FEDX it to me. Thanks!

[Randy W]

 

Sounds like the about the only option at this point. I don't know why I was thinking she could just FEDX it to me. Thanks!

 

 

You might look in to that, if you are willing to pay for faster service.

 

You probably have a scanned signature of hers somewhere. You could always cut and paste this onto the tax return. As long as your wife is willing to honor the signature (that is, NOT claim that you filed without her knowledge), I doubt that there's a chance that you would have any problems.

 

We filed my stepsons return this way, after he had returned to China.

[Daviation]

I would NOT suggest 'cutting and pasting'... plagiary.

 

As others have stated, the quickest way would be to email her the form, have her sign it and FedEx back to you. Use the form from IRS web site that you can fill out digitally and print in .pdf. Then email the .pdf file for her to print, sign and send back to you by FedEx (3 days average from Nanning). Of course, you're going to have the goofy A4 size paper, slightly narrow and longer than 8.5x11.

 

To avoid that you could print and FedEx 8.5x11 to her for signature. FedEx takes about 3 days from US to Nanning as well. You'd probably just make it... thought FedEx times 2 is not cheap. If it were about 3 weeks from now, I'd offer to help you get them hand carried to Nanning, but with Oct 15 looming, that obviously won't work.

 

Personally, I like the e-file suggestion, with signature to follow later for the files. You sure that's not an option... even with a complicated filing?

 

Good luck.

[Randy W]

I would NOT suggest 'cutting and pasting'... plagiary.

 

 

 

I did. As long as she will stand behind the signature, there will be no problem.

 

plagiarize - copy something from other person's work: to copy another person's idea or written work and claim it as original You may be thinking of "forgery".

 

You may disagree if you like.

 

 

 

 

[Daviation]

I would NOT suggest 'cutting and pasting'... plagiary.

 

 

 

I did. As long as she will stand behind the signature, there will be no problem.

 

plagiarize - copy something from other person's work: to copy another person's idea or written work and claim it as original You may be thinking of "forgery".

 

You may disagree if you like.

 

 

 

Yes... meant "forgery" not "plagiary".

 

While the IRS does give the option of signing for a spouse under very limited circumstances (illness and/or mental incompetence), those circumstances must include an explanation and do not include simply being unavailable. All other cases require Power of Attorney.

 

Ref:

http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc301.html

 

Quote from link:

 

"If a joint return is filed, both husband and wife must sign the return. If your spouse cannot sign because of a medical condition and requests that you sign the return, sign your spouse's name in the proper place followed by the word "by" (your signature), followed by the word "husband" or "wife". Be sure to also sign in the space provided for your signature. In addition, you must attach a statement that includes the form number of the return you are filing, the tax year, the reason your spouse cannot sign the return, and that your spouse has agreed to your signing for him or her. If you are the guardian for your spouse who is mentally incompetent, you may sign the return for your spouse, as guardian.

 

If your spouse cannot sign the return for any other reason, you may sign it only if you are given a valid power of attorney. The document granting you power of attorney should be attached to the return when it is filed. Form 2848 (PDF), Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative, may be used for this purpose."

[Randy W]

I would NOT suggest 'cutting and pasting'... plagiary.

 

 

 

I did. As long as she will stand behind the signature, there will be no problem.

 

plagiarize - copy something from other person's work: to copy another person's idea or written work and claim it as original You may be thinking of "forgery".

 

You may disagree if you like.

 

 

 

Yes... meant "forgery" not "plagiary".

 

While the IRS does give the option of signing for a spouse under very limited circumstances (illness and/or mental incompetence), those circumstances must include an explanation and do not include simply being unavailable. All other cases require Power of Attorney.

 

Ref:

http://www.irs.gov/t...pics/tc301.html

 

Quote from link:

 

"If a joint return is filed, both husband and wife must sign the return. If your spouse cannot sign because of a medical condition and requests that you sign the return, sign your spouse's name in the proper place followed by the word "by" (your signature), followed by the word "husband" or "wife". Be sure to also sign in the space provided for your signature. In addition, you must attach a statement that includes the form number of the return you are filing, the tax year, the reason your spouse cannot sign the return, and that your spouse has agreed to your signing for him or her. If you are the guardian for your spouse who is mentally incompetent, you may sign the return for your spouse, as guardian.

 

If your spouse cannot sign the return for any other reason, you may sign it only if you are given a valid power of attorney. The document granting you power of attorney should be attached to the return when it is filed. Form 2848 (PDF), Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative, may be used for this purpose."

 

 

Yes - I'm a little liberal with interpreting what I can (and have) done with the IRS, but I believe the OP is getting a reasonably accurate view of what his options are.

[ME4Ying]

I have a friend who is a tax accountant and he told me that if I want to use the power of attorney be prepard to answer numerous questions from the irs. He suggested, as did someone here, to email it to her have her sign it, scann it an email it back along with ems the orginial. Whether or not that is considered an orginial signiture is still not clear and also very hard to notice. Thank again for the discussion. One final thing, fedex supposedly services china but I could not get any of the postal code to work on their sight to get a quote. Anyone use fedex?