Missing a filing deadline can be very troublesome, so knowing that you have verifiable proof of mailing on or before a date is often imperative. However, what does this specifically mean, and in what circumstances does it matter?
The U.S. Code says explicitly that the date of delivery or payment counts as the date of the U.S. postmark. However, as for when it's relevant, there are various situations when you might need to have this information.
Below, you will discover the exact deadlines and documents that may require you to have proof of mailing to help keep you legally compliant. Read this proof of mailing guide to ensure that your workflow retains this critical information when sending letters or packages.
When Is Mailing Proof Needed?
Broadly, mailing proof is required whenever an organization treats the postmark or Electronic Return Receipt as the official filing date.
Generally, Certified Mail service regulations and statutes suggest that so long as you include a timely United States Postal Service (USPS) postmark, an organization is supposed to consider that a timely filing. So, when you do this, ensure that you retain the receipt to prove that you've conformed to the time of mailing compliance rules. Common advice is to hold onto it for up to ten years. So that, audits and other later checks can ensure that the data is valid.
Skip manual filing of physical mailing receipts with Send Certified Mail's 10-year electronic data archive.
In some cases, even when a delivery is presumed to have occurred, a lack of a valid mailing receipt means that the person was unable to prove that they sent it promptly, and thus, filings can still be dismissed.
Court Filing
In some circumstances, such as court cases, this is extremely important, as it can give you extra time, because courts often allow you additional time on a deadline if you file papers by mail. Clerks do routinely check USPS tracking number to prevent mail tampering or fraudulent adjustment of a postmark when it arrives late.
On occasion, courts have even dismissed filings that lacked a Certificate of Mailing receipt despite having received them via postal delivery. When the issue has a statute of limitations or otherwise a deadline, failing to produce a Certified Mail receipt can mean a lost or dismissed case. Meaning you lose out on deserved compensation.
Notably, some jurisdictions may require that you send them duplicate copies of some documents. As such, Send Certified Mail offers batch bar-coded labels, allowing you to know not only that the papers were delivered, but that each one individually arrived. Access proof of delivery reports for 10 years at no additional cost.
IRS Tax Filing
The IRS also considers this postmark filing data extremely important. As such, if you have filed a tax return and included a USPS postmark of the filing date or prior, then you have met the legal mailing requirements for the return. As mentioned before, retention of these receipts is important for auditing. Send Certified Mail offers free archiving for 10 years.
Send Certified Mail allows senders to automate U.S. Mailing to ensure that no part of the green card process is missed. Including that ensuring all forms are filled out correctly. Be aware that ordering such postmarks means that the tracking data is triggered from the moment you create the postmark itself.
Tenant Eviction Notices
When sending mail to tenants to inform them of evictions, you must have assurance that the individual received the mail. By doing this, landlords avoid tenants claiming "I never got it", as they can use a PDF signature to show delivery confirmation and proof of receipt.
Should you need to send multiple at the same time, bulk mailing will save you a lot of time and effort. Skip the trip to the Post Office and mailroom by batching your U.S. Mail online. Send Certified Mail handles higher volumes of time-sensitive documents, ensuring timely delivery and giving you a legal foundation for asserting that you informed the tenant.
Contract Notices
It is often crucial to know when a contract is delivered to another person. Especially when giving someone only a specific period in which to sign. As these are particularly time-sensitive, a receipt signature and delivery scans for each are crucial to prove that your mail was delivered.
These are similarly important if you wish to trigger a specific clause in the mail that requires you to do so via writing. Sending a notice by Registered Mail means that you can confirm that you have done so, should the issue go to litigation later.
For example, if a professional service requires that renewal of a license needs you to postmark a form by a specific deadline, Certified Mail receipts will protect you from suspension from said service. If there are postal delays, you can send this proof of sending, allowing you extra time and ensuring that you have more time before the renewal cancels.
Complying With Certified Mail Requests from Home
Instead of heading to the Post Office every time you need to mail something, consider online U.S. Mail to meet deadlines. Send mail the same-business-day with live USPS postal without ever leaving your desk. Send Certified Mail allow you to do this, offering you:
- Address validation
- Instant PDF receipts
- Batch mail creation
- Receipt archival and easy retrieval
Doing this ensures that you won't lose any paper slips and that you always have the information on hand when you need it. You can also confirm that you are sending to the correct address and avoid problems caused by return-to-sender errors.
Such a system offers reassurances that you will not face late filing fees or penalties and that you can legally protect yourself in many circumstances.
Confirm Your Proof of Mailing While Saving Money
With most statutes and courts accepting USPS Certified Mail as proof of mailing, you need to include it, or your appeals may be dismissed in the event of an issue. As such, investigating online mailing solution, Send Certified Mail, will give you the proof you need without needing to visit the Post Office every time you want to send a letter.
Whether you want to create a single postmark or batch-produce hundreds, create a free account and send mail with the confidence that you've done everything you can to hit your deadlines today.
Get Started Today
Easily upload your documents online for same-business-day USPS mailings. Skip the trip to the mailroom and Post Office and save time and money when you create and send Certified Mail labels. Streamline your mailings and get digital proof of mailing and delivery.
Send Certified Mail is the fastest way to send U.S. Mail online. Schedule a Live Demo with our Customer Support Team to learn more today.