When I changed my address over ten years ago, the Post Office gave me the option of a daily email showing me the mail I’m going to be receiving later that day.

I’ve changed my address several times since then, and each time I’ve continued with the email option.

Most of the time I find it helpful.

Every now and then, however, it can end up being stressful.

For example, a few days ago it indicated that I was to receive a letter from the Internal Revenue Service.

Generally speaking, that is not something that one wants to hear.

Was I being audited?

To the best of my knowledge I had filled out all my recent tax returns correctly and honestly. 

Well, mostly honestly. It’s true that I hadn’t bothered to report the piddling interest that I had earned on my checking account, but that amounted to less than a dollar and probably wouldn’t have made a difference in the tax bill anyway.

What made it worse was that we used to have a reliable mail carrier who delivered the mail around noon every day.

Not any more.

Now we have a succession of carriers, and there’s no telling when they might deliver the mail, but mostly it’s not until late in the day.

That’s what happened on that particular day, so I had a stressful wait, worrying the whole day long as to what might be in the letter.

When it finally arrived, about 5:30 in the afternoon, I tore it open, only to read:

Our records indicate you filed your 2025 tax return using an IRS Free File Program partner. We randomly selected you to participate in this survey… 

So I wasn’t being audited!

I did finally get around to taking the survey, as I do like the Free File program and hope they continue and expand it. Actually, given that they have all my information because all the information is already reported to them, there shouldn’t be any need for me to file at all. They should simply send a bill with a detailed explanation. But whatever.