Mailed return in limbo (not delivered) -- what to do?

[someone]

Using the Turbo Tax desktop software, I filled out my state tax returns and mailed them, USPS certified. My CA return's USPS tracking has been showing the status "In Transit to Next Facility" for almost a month, though it did make it to Sacramento (delivery city). I'm due a couple thousand dollars refund from CA.

I'm worried that the envelope may be lost. Even if just misplaced, the refund delay is annoying. What do you all recommend I do at this point? I could file electronically after all (paying the $20 extra fee that I guess I should have done in the first place -- could I get USPS to cover LOL?), but will that be problematic if my mailed return does eventually get delivered? And/or can I ask USPS to look into it? Any other ideas?

More details on mailing in case it helps: Of the three items I mailed certified that day, two were delivered within a few days. (One was my other state return since I moved last year.) The third, my CA return, made it to the delivery city Sacramento CA in a few days and was marked "In Transit to Next Facility" a few days after that, and its USPS tracking status has now been unchanged for almost a month.

[mesquitebean · Accepted solution]

@someone 

A tax agency doesn't always acknowledge receipt, since they get many bags and carts of mail each day.  I've had the IRS not acknowledge my receipts before, or send them days later.  During the Coronavirus situation, processing at tax agencies has been thrown into a mess.

If necessary, you can phone them at some point and ask if they have received it or what they want you to do.  If it were me, I personally wouldn't send a second return unless the tax agency told me to.

You can also speak to your post office to have them check on it for you.

Does it show up when you use the info in this FAQ?   (it might not, if they haven't been processing manual returns lately)

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/refund-status/help/how-do-i-track-my-california-tax-refund/00/2656...

[someone]

@mesquitebean

Ah okay, I'll hope CA FTB does have it in some pile somewhere. It seems weird to me that they could receive certified mail without acknowledging it, but admittedly I don't know the intricacies of certified mail. I will probably call the post office to see if they can check on it.

Thanks for the link to check the status! They don't have it, but say not to contact unless it's been "3 months since you mailed your return".  So I'll mostly just wait, and hope I won't get in trouble for missing the deadline if the envelope is lost after all. Hopefully they'll be cool since I don't owe money...

[DoninGA]

You should also check this USPS website for missing registered mail - https://www.usps.com/help/missing-mail.htm

[mesquitebean]

"So I'll mostly just wait, and hope I won't get in trouble for missing the deadline if the envelope is lost after all. Hopefully they'll be cool since I don't owe money..."

If CA is like the IRS and many other states, there is no penalty for a late return that is due a refund.

Plus hang on to your tracking info for proof of mailing.  It normally goes by that date.

[someone]

UPDATE

I made a mail tracking request as suggested by @DoninGA, and eventually USPS confirmed what @mesquitebean said -- that a tax agency doesn't always acknowledge receipt.

Because of the lack of acknowledgement for a certified item, USPS did offer to refund the certified fee.

So guess I'm stuck refreshing the status on the CA FTB website for awhile.