Can refund get mailed to my office?

[giogis245]

I don't know if that's ok/legal/ethical to do?  This client is out of the country this year working oversees, he was in the US in 2016 and needs to file a return, he doesn't have a US bank account and doesn't have a US address to get his check mailed to.  He asked if I could put down my address and then I forward to his Country?

[Pacun]

I don't let my clients to use my office number, but that's me. Why don't you use his account number outside the US and let him deal with it if the IRS has issues sending his money?

Why don't you use his current abroad mail address?

I think the state will be looking for a return if he uses your office address.

[Roberts]

Did you change the address on the return to your address? What are you going to do with the check?

I believe that it's okay as long as the check isn't issued in your name. I know for a fact that many attorney's use their office address as the address of record on legal issues and tax returns (estate and individual). I have doubts that you couldn't do the same thing but I wonder what you'd do with the check once you got it.

Could you just apply the refund to next year's return? I'm really not sure what you plan on doing with the check once you get it.

(I'd have a substantial fee applied if a client wants to use my address)

[Pacun]

2 minutes ago, Roberts said:

Did you change the address on the return to your address? What are you going to do with the check?

I believe that it's okay as long as the check isn't issued in your name. I know for a fact that many attorney's use their office address as the address of record on legal issues and tax returns (estate and individual). I have doubts that you couldn't do the same thing but I wonder what you'd do with the check once you got it.

Could you just apply the refund to next year's return? I'm really not sure what you plan on doing with the check once you get it.

I guess you didn't read the last sentence on his post. OR maybe you did. If you can mail it to him, the IRS can mail it to him too, I think.

[Yardley CPA]

I think the larger question is the perception of having it mailed to your address.  The reason is perfectly acceptable and there may not be a law that prevents it.  Personally, I wouldn't do it simply because of how it looks.  But as Pacun said, that's me.  

[Roberts]

Just now, Pacun said:

I guess you didn't read the last sentence on his post.

Nope, didn't see that - sorry. So does he have a foreign bank account? if so, many have relationships with US banks for an ACH transfer which is what the IRS does.

I don't believe it's against the rules to do such a thing. I'd charge a fee.

 

[michaelmars]

we have about 100 clients using our address, not a problem at all from the irs point of view. 

[jklcpa]

Agree with michaelmars.  Using your address and forwarding the IRS check on to him won't be a problem. 

The ethical violation would be if you negotiate that IRS check.  Do NOT do that, do NOT touch the client's money.