How To File Tax Return By Mail

If you want to send a paper tax return to the Internal Revenue Service, you need to learn how to file a tax return by mail. This is similar to mailing any other package or letter. However, since tax returns are important documents, you should be especially careful when filing a return by mail.

1. Make a copy of your tax return. Once your return is in the mail, you won't have it any more. Keep a copy for your records, because you may need information from it later. It's also important to have a copy on hand in case your original return is lost in the mail.
2. Place your tax return in an envelope. Make sure you include all necessary forms and documentation in the envelope. If you need to send in a payment, your check should be in the envelope as well.
3. Address the envelope. Your tax return lists several mailing addresses. Which one you should use depends on where you live and whether you are filing a return for an individual or a business. Whether or not you are sending a payment with your return is another factor that determines which address you will use.
4. Purchase the correct amount of postage. If you're not careful to put the correct postage on the envelope, you risk not having your tax return delivered. Weigh your envelope on a postage scale so the postage will be exact.
5. Drop the envelope off in a mailbox or at the post office. This is the final step in filing a tax return by mail. After you've put your return in a mailbox, it's in the postal service's hands. The postal service will deliver it to the Internal Revenue Service.