Postal Service set to cover postage errors

By Walter Wright
Advertiser Staff Writer

The Postal Service stood by with extra two-cent stamps last night so no Hawai'i taxpayer is penalized because of its mistaken announcement about mailing Internal Revenue Service tax returns.

The Postal Service said last week that mailing returns with four or more IRS forms might cost "an additional 21 cents for the second ounce."

But the actual cost of a second ounce of first-class mail is 23 cents, after 34 cents for the first ounce.

"We're going to take care of it if there is a problem," Postal Service spokeswoman Nancy Wong said.

A worker will add stamps to two-ounce letters mailed to the IRS with 55 cents of postage, she said.

"We expect no more than 100 cases" out of 62,000 deadline day mailings anticipated yesterday.

IRS spokeswoman Shawn George said the IRS can remove penalties caused by the problem.

Taxpayers can send returns back to the IRS, including the used envelope and a note, with copies of any erroneous postage cost announcements if possible, she said.

Reach Walter Wright at wwright@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8054.