Postage stamps

[gggg...@gmail.com]

http://www.harlandaily.com/news/22456/analysis-postal-woes-demand-jump-in-stamp-price-to-60-cents

[catalpa]

<gggg...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:3bc7c8bf-03d6-4548...@googlegroups.com...
> http://www.harlandaily.com/news/22456/analysis-postal-woes-demand-jump-in-stamp-price-to-60-cents

Who uses snail mail?

I have to mail something about once every 3 months.

[ItsJoan NotJoann]

Pretty much the same thing here. I do mail in my property taxes as
the company that does the credit/debit card processing for the county
for this tax charges a 2.25% convenience fee. That doesn't sound like
much but it comes out to be about $43 so I'm more than willing to write
a check and spring for a postage stamp.

[Vic Smith]

On Sat, 23 Sep 2017 14:29:47 -0700 (PDT), ItsJoan NotJoann <itsjoan...@webtv.net>
wrote:

RE taxes was the last holdout for me. But they got their act together about 5-7 years ago.
I pay the 1 buck "transaction fee" but I happen to bank with Chase, else I'd still be
sending a check. I sent a check to the lawyer who protests my RE tax assessment every 3
years a couple months ago, and that's the only check I've used in a couple years.
The only use I see for checks is paying tradesmen for work on my house, or maybe buying a
car.

[ItsJoan NotJoann]

ACK! I wish whoever did the online banking transactions for my county
only charged a dollar. $43 'convenience fee' is highway robbery but at
least I have a choice to mail or pay in person. I had to write a check
back in July for a new water heater installation and that was the first
check I'd written since February. A pad of checks lasts me 2,3,4 years.

[Bob F]

Can't you pay the tax using your banks online bill pay? It's a direct
transfer, not a CC that they have to pay fees on.

[Vic Smith]

Before my county set up the online payment, you had to send in the tax bill with your
payment. Still can't pay with the bank online system. Have to go to the county online
site.

[The Real Bev]

The State of California charges something like $17.00 if you want to pay
your state income taxes directly using H&RBlock tax software (presumably
the same for TurboTax), which seems incredibly stupid.

Last time I tried to pay the federal tax with TT it screwed up badly and
I ended up sending them paper and a check on April 15. Every since then
I've sent paper for both.

I send checks for all taxes. Everything else I pay via CC or online
banking.

--
Cheers, Bev
"Everything sucks; reverse the wires and everything will blow."
-- Desert Ed

[ItsJoan NotJoann]

Check, credit or debit card only (or cash in person). If using bill
pay they consider that to be a debit card. Doesn't make sense, but
it never hurts to ask again.

[ItsJoan NotJoann]

On Saturday, September 23, 2017 at 8:13:27 PM UTC-5, The Real Bev wrote:
>
> I send checks for all taxes. Everything else I pay via CC or online
> banking.
>

> Cheers, Bev
>
>
Once my check for property taxes clears the bank I print out a
copy of my check and staple it to the portion of the tax bill I
keep and file it with my tax records. Never hurts to keep a
copy for awhile.

[John Weiss]

On Sat, 23 Sep 2017 14:29:47 -0700 (PDT), ItsJoan NotJoann
<itsjoan...@webtv.net>
wrote:
>
> I do mail in my property taxes as
> the company that does the credit/debit card processing for the county
> for this tax charges a 2.25% convenience fee. That doesn't sound like
> much but it comes out to be about $43 so I'm more than willing to write
> a check and spring for a postage stamp.

The 2.25% is probably the amount the processor charges them for the
transaction fee. The government is not willing to underwrite the fee,
so it gets charged back to you.

FWIW, in many countries outside the USA, additional fees for credit card
use are still common...

Retail entities build the cost of credit into their business models,
because they expect a large percentage of their business to be based on
credit cards. Most tax collectors haven't gotten to that level yet...

[ItsJoan NotJoann]

On Sunday, September 24, 2017 at 3:31:27 PM UTC-5, John Weiss wrote:
>
> On Sat, 23 Sep 2017 14:29:47 -0700 (PDT), ItsJoan NotJoann
> <itsjoan...@webtv.net>
> wrote:
> >
> > I do mail in my property taxes as
> > the company that does the credit/debit card processing for the county
> > for this tax charges a 2.25% convenience fee. That doesn't sound like
> > much but it comes out to be about $43 so I'm more than willing to write
> > a check and spring for a postage stamp.
>
> The 2.25% is probably the amount the processor charges them for the
> transaction fee. The government is not willing to underwrite the fee,
> so it gets charged back to you.
>
>

I do know that but when that small percentage turns into $43 is when
I balk. Thankfully I have the choice to pay by credit/debit/check.
It's a no-brainer I will choose a check and a stamp especially when
my checking account is free as are my checks.

Choice, it's a good thing.

[Bob F]

If you want to own property, you have to pay the taxes. You can't go
shop elsewhere. So that is not going to motivate them. They have no
sales to lose.

[hchi...@hotmail.com]

On Sun, 24 Sep 2017 17:10:48 -0700, Bob F <bobn...@gmail.com> wrote:


>If you want to own property, you have to pay the taxes. You can't go
>shop elsewhere. So that is not going to motivate them. They have no
>sales to lose.

Heh heh. Nope. Over 65 in Alabama, homesteaded, low income
in most cases = NO property tax. None.

[ItsJoan NotJoann]

On Monday, September 25, 2017 at 12:11:42 PM UTC-5, hchi...@hotmail.com wrote:
>
> Heh heh. Nope. Over 65 in Alabama, homesteaded, low income
> in most cases = NO property tax. None.
>
>

Well, in Tennessee it depends on how much your pension is if
you get a break and if your county participates. Nobody here
is exempt from property taxes that I know of but I could be
wrong. But then again y'all have a state income tax and we
don't but you don't tax Social Security and neither does
Tennessee.

[ray.nor...@gmail.com]

On Saturday, September 23, 2017 at 1:26:36 AM UTC-4, gggg...@gmail.com wrote:
> http://www.harlandaily.com/news/22456/analysis-postal-woes-demand-jump-in-stamp-price-to-60-cents

You can buy stamps at discount.

Google discount postage

Even cheaper for discount UN stamps if you live in NYC and can walk to UN Post Office