Dear Editor,
I mailed my income tax forms at the indoor mailboxes at the Carmel Post Office on April 14 around noon after purchasing machine stamps at 11:57:07 a.m.
The Indiana Dept. of Revenue informed us that our taxes were not postmarked until April 16. Therefore, Indiana would deny us the $222 auto refund credit and would also penalize us $39.50. I have the receipt for the stamps purchased at the Carmel branch machine. One of the machine stamps with a date of April 13 is attached to my mailed envelope to the Indiana Revenue Dept.. I have 20 days to offer evidence of timely mailing.
I tell you this as an alert to others who might have also mailed taxes at the Carmel Post Office and had late postmarks causing notices from the Indiana Dept. of Revenue. In the past, the Indianapolis Post Office has assured taxpayers during April 15 television news interviews that any mail collected by or on April 15 would be guaranteed an April 15 postmark. A mailing on April 14 mid-day should certainly have been postmarked no later than April 15.
On a call to the Indiana Revenue, I explained that I had an April 14 Carmel Post Office machine receipt for stamps purchased and that one of the stamps with an April 13 date was on the envelope containing my mailed tax forms. After about a five minute wait, I was informed that the matter was resolved and no penalties were assessed. Thank goodness. I hope anyone else mailing from the Carmel Post Office on April 14 or 15 has no problems initially or upon a resolution attempt.
Bruce Braden
46032