Finance

HANDBOOK F-15 REVISION

Tax Exemption for Lodging

Effective December 13, 2001, Handbook F-15, Travel and Relocation, is revised to reflect the use of tax exemption certificates for official travel when lodging is required.

We will incorporate this change into the next printed edition of Handbook F-15 and into the online version of Handbook F-15 at http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.

Handbook F-15, Travel and Relocation

* * * * *

6 Arranging Lodging

* * * * *

6-2 What's Allowed

* * * * *

[Revise 6-2.1.1 to read as follows:]

6-2.1.1 Exemptions From Sales Taxes

If you are going on official travel and lodging is required, you should access the General Services Administration (GSA) Web site to obtain a tax exemption certificate for the location to which you are traveling. The GSA Web site may be reached by using the hot link, under Downloads (Help), provided on the finance home page (http://blue.usps.gov/finance/) on the Postal Service Intranet.

If you do not find a certificate on the GSA Web site, you may use the generic tax exemption certificate on the Finance home page.

When checking into a hotel, you should request an exemption from state and local taxes. You should present the tax exemption certificate and appropriate identification when making the request.

If the hotel declines to honor your request for tax exemption, you should pay the tax.

* * * * *

- Corporate Accounting, Finance, 12-13-01

HANDBOOK F-1 REVISION

AIC Changes - Trust Accounts for CAGs H-L Deposits

Effective accounting period (AP) 5, postal fiscal year (PFY) 2002, Handbook F-1, Post Office Accounting Procedures, is revised to reflect account identifier code (AIC) changes for trust accounts AIC 077 and AIC 477. Those two trust accounts will be deactivated and placed on the reserve list. Those AICs have been used for an office reporting a daily bank deposit to the district accounting office (DAO) and submitting a unit PS Form 1412, Daily Financial Report (automated), on an AP basis. All offices are now required to submit daily reports of bank deposits. Those AICs will be removed from the active AIC list and placed on the reserve list.

We will incorporate these changes into the next printed edition of Handbook F-1.

Handbook F-1, Post Office Accounting Procedures

* * * * *

Appendix A Account Identifier Code and General Ledger Account Crosswalk

* * * * *

[Revise AICs 077 and 477 to read as follows:]

- Revenue and Field Accounting,Finance, 12-13-01

HANDBOOK F-1 REVISION

AIC Changes - First Day Cover Accounts

Effective accounting period (AP) 5, postal fiscal year (PFY) 2002, Handbook F-1, Post Office Accounting Procedures, is revised so that account identifier codes (AICs) 066, 067, 466, and 467 are deactivated and placed on the reserve list. Currently, organizations that request special cancellation die hubs for first day covers remit funds to the Postal Service to pay the die hub manufacturer. Those funds are currently recorded to trust accounts AIC 066 and 067 and withdrawn using AICs 466 and 467. Those accounts will no longer be used as the process has changed.

In compliance with Postal Operations Manual (POM) section 236.8, Special Die-Hub Cancellations, Cost, the manufacturer of the die hub will bill the sponsor and/or organization. The sponsor and/or organization will pay the manufacturer directly.

We will incorporate these changes into the next printed edition of Handbook F-1.

Handbook F-1, Post Office Accounting Procedures

* * * * *

Appendix A Account Identifier Code and General Ledger Account Crosswalk

* * * * *

[Revise AICs 066, 067, 466, and 467 to read as follows:]

- Revenue and Field Accounting,Finance, 12-13-01

HANDBOOK F-1 REVISION

AIC Changes - Passport Payment Fees

Effective accounting period (AP) 5, postal fiscal year (PFY) 2002, Handbook F-1, Post Office Accounting Procedures, is revised so that account identifier codes (AICs) 064 and 464 will no longer be used by offices to record cash passport payments and withdraw the funds for remittance to the U.S. Department of State. AIC 064 has been used to record the cash passport payments, and those funds have been withdrawn with AIC 464 for remittance. Those accounts will no longer be used and will be removed from the active AIC list and placed on the reserved AIC list.

Effective AP 5, PFY 2002, a money order will be issued when cash or debit card payments are made for passport services. The customer must write his or her money order payable to the U.S. Department of State, and the individual money orders will be remitted with each passport application. One money order will be issued for each passport application, and the customer will pay his or her appropriate money order fees and passport execution fees. The execution fees will continue to be recorded to AIC 264, USPS Passport Fees. Administrative Support Manual (ASM) section 422.273 describes the financial procedures for payment of passport services.

We will incorporate these changes into the next printed edition of Handbook F-1.

Handbook F-1, Post Office Accounting Procedures

* * * * *

Appendix A Account Identifier Code and General Ledger Account Crosswalk

* * * * *

[Revise AICs 064 and 464 to read as follows:]

- Revenue and Field Accounting,Finance, 12-13-01

Federal Income Tax Withholding

Effective pay period (PP) 01-2002, payroll checks will reflect changes in federal tax withholding, and the exemption value increases for each allowance from $111.54 to $115.38. Based on provisions in the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, there is now a sixth tax percentage of 10 percent. The other five percentages shown in the tables below remain at 15, 27, 30, 35, and 38.6 percent.

The following table is based upon a biweekly payroll period:

* Wages are determined after subtracting withholding allowances, FSA, Income Tax Rates FEHB, and TSP contributions from your gross earnings.

Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), and Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) contributions made by employees are treated as pretax monies (unless a pretax waiver for FEHB benefits has been signed by an employee). When calculating your taxes, remember to subtract your allowances and all of these contribution amounts from your gross earnings.

To determine the amount of withholding, follow the steps listed below:

1. Determine normal biweekly gross wages from earnings statement.

2. Determine normal biweekly TSP contributions from earnings statement.

3. Determine normal biweekly FSA contributions from earnings statement. If applicable, add together the amounts from both the FSA Dependent Child (FSADC) Sub-Account and the FSA Health Care (FSAHC) Sub-Account.

4. Determine normal biweekly FEHB pretax employee contribution from earnings statement (abbreviated as HP).

5. Multiply the number of exemptions claimed by the new biweekly exemption value of $115.38 (withholding allowance). The federal tax line on the earnings statement shows the number of exemptions claimed (e.g., S1 = Single with One Exemption; M3 = Married with Three Exemptions).

6. Subtract the amounts in Step 2 (TSP), Step 3 (FSA), Step 4 (FEHB), and Step 5 (Exemptions) from Step 1 (Gross Biweekly Wages). The remainder is the amount subject to tax withholding.

7. Determine which range this amount falls into on the Federal Income Tax Withholding Table, and follow the instructions listed in the table.

The following is an example of how to compute federal income taxes for a Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) employee who claims three exemptions and makes pretax contributions to the FEHB, FSA, and TSP.

Example:

A FERS employee receives $2,950.80 as gross biweekly wages. The employee makes the following contributions from the $2,950.80: 10 percent per PP to the TSP; $30 per PP to the FSADC Sub-Account; $60 per PP to the FSAHC Sub- Account; and $79.16 for FEHB. (This is the actual cost for a USPS employee paying High Option Self and Family with the GEHA Benefit Plan.) The employee is married and claims three exemptions (M3 on the federal tax line of the earnings statement). Using the information provided above in the Federal Income Tax Withholding Table, federal taxes can be computed as follows:

Computation is as follows:

To complete the computation, refer to the married/biweekly segment of the Federal Income Tax Withholding Table. The amount of wages subject to withholding, $2,140.42, falls within the "over $1,983 but not over $4,219" range. Using the information provided within that range, the final computation is as follows:

*Rounding may vary this total by a few cents.

- Payroll Accounting, Finance, 12-13-01

2002 Pay Dates, Organization Dues, and Leave Year

The following chart lists the pay periods for 2002. For the convenience of timekeepers, each biweekly pay period appears as 2 separate weeks, with the beginning and ending dates indicated for each week.

Pay periods with an asterisk indicate when monthly dues for unions and employee organizations are deducted.

The leave year always begins the first day of the first full pay period in the calendar year. The 2002 leave year begins Pay Period 03, January 12, 2002, and extends for 26 full pay periods, ending Pay Period 02-03, January 10, 2003.

2002 Pay Period Inclusive Dates

2003 Pay Periods Begin

- Corporate Accounting, Finance, 12-13-01

International Mail

IMM REVISION

International Mail - Special Services Changes

In Postal Bulletin 22063 (11-15-01, pages 8-9) the article "IMM Revision: International Mail - Recorded Delivery Service" announced that recorded delivery service to certain destination countries had been established or terminated. This follow-up article revises the return receipt and restricted delivery entries in the International Mail Manual (IMM) for those same destination countries, so that they reflect those changes in the country conditions for mailing.

We will incorporate these additional revisions into both the printed version of IMM Issue 26 and the online IMM, which can be accessed via Postal Explorer at http://pe.usps.gov.

International Mail Manual (IMM)

* * * * *

Individual Country Listings

* * * * *

Country Conditions for Mailing

* * * * *

Special Services

* * * * *

Restricted Delivery (350)

[Revise the entries for Austria, Greenland, Latvia, Madagascar, Mongolia, Slovak Republic (Slovakia), Switzerland, and Yemen to read as follows:]

Fee: $3.20
Available for Registered and Recorded Delivery Mail with Return Receipt.
Endorsements: A remettre en Main Propre.

* * * * *

[Revise the entries for Afghanistan, Bahrain, Central African Republic, Guinea, Italy, Lebanon, and Spain to read as follows:]

Fee: $3.20
Available for Registered Mail with Return Receipt.
Endorsements: A remettre en Main Propre.

* * * * *

Return Receipt (340)

[Revise the entries for Austria, Bahamas, Greenland, India, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Madagascar, Mali, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Slovak Republic (Slovakia), Switzerland, Tanzania, and Trinidad and Tobago to read as follows:]

Fee: $1.50
Available for Registered and Recorded Delivery Mail and Insured Parcels.

* * * * *

[Revise the entries for Costa Rica, Mozambique, Paraguay, Venezuela, and Yemen to read as follows:]

Fee: $1.50
Available for Registered and Recorded Delivery Mail.

* * * * *

[Revise the entries for Central African Republic, China, Gabon, Guinea, Italy, Lebanon, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Spain, and Syria to read as follows:]

Fee: $1.50
Available for Registered Mail and Insured Parcels.

* * * * *

[Revise the entries for Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bolivia, Libya, and Nepal to read as follows:]

Fee: $1.50
Available for Registered Mail.

* * * * *

- Marketing, International Business, 12-13-01

IMM REVISION

International Mail - Global Express Mail (EMS) Claims and Inquiries

Effective December 13, 2001, International Mail Manual (IMM) 920, 930, and 940 are revised to reflect procedural changes in the claims and inquiries process for Global Express Mail (EMS) items.

We will incorporate these regulatory changes into both the printed version of IMM Issue 26 and the online IMM, which can be accessed via Postal Explorer at http://pe.usps.gov.

International Mail Manual (IMM)

* * * * *

9 Inquiries, Indemnities, and Refunds

* * * * *

920 Inquiries and Claims

921 Inquiry Described

* * * * *

921.2 Who Can Initiate

[Revise 921.2 to read as follows:]

921.21 Letter-post and Parcel Post

Inquiries pertaining to the disposition of a letter-post item or a parcel post package can be initiated at any Post Office by the U.S. sender or addressee.

921.22 Global Express Mail (EMS)

Inquiries pertaining to the disposition of a Global Express Mail (EMS) item can be initiated only by the U.S. sender (not the addressee). In order to initiate an inquiry for loss, rifling, or damage, the sender must call the EMS Inquiry Center at 1-800-222-1811 and provide the Postal Service agent with the relevant mailing particulars.

922 Filing of Inquiries

922.1 Time Limits

[Revise 922.1 to read as follows:]

Inquiries pertaining to the disposition of a letter-post item or a parcel post package must be initiated within 6 months from the day following the date of mailing. Those that pertain to the disposition of an EMS item must be initiated within 90 days from the date of mailing.

922.2 Waiting Period

[Revise 922.2 to read as follows:]

Customers must wait a reasonable time for an international item to be transported to and delivered in the foreign country before initiating an inquiry. Inquiries should not be filed before the following number of days from the mailing date:

a. 3 days for EMS items. (Note: Postal Service customers who attempt to initiate an EMS inquiry prematurely should be advised that the requisite delivery information may not yet be available from the foreign postal administration in the destination country.)

b. 7 days for airmail letter-post items and parcel post packages.

c. 30 days for economy (surface) letter-post items and parcel post packages.

[Revise the header and text for 922.3 to read as follows:]

922.3 Global Express Mail (EMS) Inquiry Procedures

922.31 How to File

The U.S. sender of an EMS item that is believed to be lost, damaged, or rifled must call 1-800-222-1811 within 90 days of the date of mailing, to initiate an inquiry. Reminder: Postal Service customers who wish to determine the disposition of an EMS item should not complete PS Form 542, Inquiry About a Registered Article or an Insured Parcel or an Ordinary Article.

922.32 Procedural Steps

After the Postal Service customer has furnished the EMS Inquiry Center with the relevant mailing information,

a. The EMS Inquiry Center advises the sender of the results of the inquiry.

b. When there is a determination that an EMS item has been lost, damaged, or rifled, the EMS Inquiry Center mails an information packet to the customer, which includes PS Form 2861, Express Mail International Service Inquiry, and a letter of instruction regarding the claim process. The printed copy of PS Form 2861 provided by the EMS Inquiry Center must be attached to all EMS claims that are sent to the New York International Claims and Inquiries Office (ICIO).

922.33 Foreign Origin EMS Items

Inquiries about Express Mail items that originated outside the United States must be initiated by the sender through the postal administration of origin.

922.4 Method of Inquiry Transmittal

[Revise 922.4 to read as follows:]

Inquiries about registered mail, insured parcels, and ordinary articles are transmitted by the International Claims and Inquiries Office (ICIO) to the applicable foreign postal administration via airmail. Inquiries pertaining to EMS items are transmitted via electronic means to some foreign postal administrations and via facsimile transmission or airmail to others.

* * * * *

924 Initiation of Claims

* * * * *

924.2 Global Express Mail (EMS) Shipments

[Add the following IMM cross references to the end of the paragraph; the remainder of the existing text is unchanged.]

***(See 922 and 925.)

[Revise the header and text for 925 to read as follows:]

925 Required Documentation

925.1 Evidence of Insurance

Indemnity claims for registered, insured, and Global Express Mail must present:

a. The original mailing receipt issued at the time of mailing (reproduced copies are not acceptable.)

b. For Global Express Mail items, PS Form 2861 received from the EMS Inquiry Center.

925.2 Evidence of Value

The customer must submit acceptable evidence to establish the cost or value of the article at the time it was mailed. (Other evidence may be requested to help determine an accurate value.) Examples of acceptable evidence are:

a. Sales receipt, invoice, or statement of value from a reputable dealer.

b. Customer's own statement describing the lost or damaged article, including the date and place of purchase, the amount paid, and whether new or used (only if a sales receipt or invoice is not available). If the article is handmade, the statement must include the price of the materials and labor used. The statement must describe the article in enough detail to determine whether the value claimed is accurate.

c. Picture from a catalog showing the value of a similar article (only if a sales receipt, invoice, or statement of value from a reputable dealer is not available). The date and place of purchase must be included.

d. Paid repair bills; if the claim is for partial damage, estimates of repair costs or appraisals from a reputable dealer. Repair costs may not exceed the original purchase price.

e. Receipt or invoice of costs incurred for the reconstruction of nonnegotiable documents.

* * * * *

930 Indemnity Payments

* * * * *

935 Payments for Global Express Mail

* * * * *

935.2 When Prohibited

[Revise 935.2 to read as follows:]

Indemnity for Global Express Mail items will not be paid:

a. For delay in delivery.

b. When the contents are prohibited.

c. For any items seized by customs or any other government agency.

d. When no inquiry or claim has been made by the mailer within 90 days from the date of mailing.

e. For damage that results from the quality of the contents; that is, inability, due to its nature, to withstand the ordinary incidents of international Express Mail carriage. See DMM S010.2.14 (i)(m)(t).

f. When delivery was made under conditions prescribed for international Express Mail items by the country of destination.

g. When evidence of mailing has not been presented.

h. For any reason specified in DMM S010.2.13, S010.2.14, and S010.2.15.

* * * * *

940 Postage Refunds

* * * * *

942 Postage Refunds for Global Express Mail Items

* * * * *

942.1 Who May File

[Revise 942.1 to read as follows:]

U.S. senders of EMS items must complete the inquiry process (see 922) before filing for a postage refund. An inquiry must be initiated within 90 days of the date of mailing by calling 1-800-222-1811.

942.2 Conditions

[Revise 942.2 to read as follows:]

The Postal Service will refund postage of EMS items only when:

a. The inquiry process has confirmed that total loss, damage, or rifling of an EMS item has occurred.

b. The customer has initiated an inquiry within the requisite 90-day filing period.

c. The Expedited Service Specialist has received verification from the Product Tracking System (PTS) or the EMS Inquiry Center that loss, rifling, or damage has occurred.

d. Postage refunds for EMS items are not made for delayed delivery.

* * * * *

[Revise the header and text for 942.4 to read as follows:]

942.4 Processing of Refunds

EMS postage refund requests are processed in accordance with DMM P014.5.0. Under its provisions the mailer must complete Part I of PS Form 3533, Application and Voucher for Refund of Postage and Fees, in duplicate, and submit it, along with the original customer copy of the mailing label (i.e., PS Label 11 B Express Mail) to any Post Office.

* * * * *

- Marketing, International Business, 12-13-01

IMM REVISION

International Mail - New International Postage Rates

Effective January 13, 2002, International Mail Manual (IMM) Sections 292 and 293 are revised to reflect changes in some international rates.

The following rates are affected:

• International Priority Airmail.

• International Surface Air Lift.

• Publishers' Periodicals.

No other international rates are changing at this time.

The publishers' periodical rates are now presented in the five rate groups consistent with the letter-post rate groups. All rate groups are given in this article. Note that the publishers' periodical rates for rate groups 3 and 4 are the same.

PS Form 3650, Postage Statement - International Surface Airlift, and PS Form 3652, Postage Statement - International Priority Airmail, reflect new piece and pound rates for selected rate groups. All previous versions of PS Form 3650 and PS Form 3652 are obsolete as of January 13, 2002, and must be recycled.

PS Form 3541, Postage Statement - Periodicals One Issue or One Edition, and PS Form 3541-M, Postage Statement - Periodicals All Issues in a Calendar Month, are also revised to reflect five new rate groups. These postage statements are dated January 2002. Periodical mailers not claiming foreign copies may continue to use the July 2001 editions of PS Form 3541 and PS Form 3541-M until further notice in a future Postal Bulletin. If foreign copies are included, mailers must use the January 2002 versions of PS Forms 3541 or 3541-M.

The January 2002 editions of PS Form 3541, PS Form 3541-M, PS Form 3650, and PS Form 3652 appear on pages 13-6 of this Postal Bulletin. These statements will be available in the Business Section of the Postal Service Web site at www.usps.com as PDF forms.

There will be no distribution of the January 2002 editions. Postmasters should encourage their customers and staff to use the Postal Service Web site to obtain forms. Postmasters can order additional quantities from the Material Distribution Center (MDC).

We will incorporate these new rates for publishers' periodicals in the Individual Country Listings (ICL) of International Mail Manual (IMM) Issue 26, and we will revise Exhibit 292.211 and Section 293.71 to show the new rates for International Priority Airmail and International Surface Air Lift, respectively. We will also revise the online version of the IMM, available via Postal Explorer at http://pe.usps.gov.

Issue 26 is scheduled for distribution with a date of January 2002. Details of the distribution and how to order additional copies will be issued later.

The following international rates are effective at 12:01 a.m., January 13, 2002.

International Mail Manual (IMM)

* * * * *

2 Conditions for Mailing

* * * * *

290 Commercial Services

* * * * *

292 International Priority Airmail Service

* * * * *

292.2 Postage

292.21 Rates

292.211 General

* * * * *

[Revise Exhibit 292.211 as follows:]

International Priority Airmail Rates

* * * * *

293 International Surface Air Lift (ISAL) Service

* * * * *

293.7 Postage

293.71 Rates

[Revise table as follows:]

International Surface Air Lift Rates

* * * * *

Economy Mail

Publishers' Periodicals Rates (294)

[Revise individual country listings for Canada (Rate Group 1) to include the following rates:]

Economy Mail

Publishers' Periodicals Rates (294)

[Revise individual country listings for Mexico (Rate Group 2) to include the following rates:]

Economy Mail

Publishers' Periodicals Rates (294)

[Revise individual country listings for Andorra, Belgium, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France (Includes Corsica and Monaco), Germany, Gibraltar, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Greece, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal (includes Azores and Madeira Islands), San Marino, Spain (includes Canary Islands), Sweden, Switzerland, and Vatican City (Rate Group 3) to include the following rates:]

Economy Mail

Publishers' Periodicals Rates (294)

[Revise individual country listings for Australia, Japan, and New Zealand (Rate Group 4) to include the following rates:]

Economy Mail

Publishers' Periodicals Rates (294)

[Revise individual country listings for Afghanistan , Albania, Algeria, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Ascension, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma (Myanmar), Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cayman, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros Islands, Congo (Brazzaville), Republic of the, Congo (Kinshasa), Democratic Republic of the, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Fiji, French Guiana, French Polynesia (includes Tahiti), Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Republic of, Ghana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia (includes East Timor), Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea, Dem. People's Rep. of (North), Korea, Republic of (South), Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Macao, Macedonia, Republic of, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Moldova, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn Island, Poland, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis, Saint Helena, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia-Montenegro (Yugoslavia), Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovak Republic (Slovakia), Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tristan da Cunha, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Wallis and Futuna Islands, Western Samoa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe (Rate Group 5) to include the following rates:]

- Marketing, International Business, 12-13-01