Tax filers seeking April 15 postmark may have to stand on line at a post office

If you plan to mail your income taxes right on deadline, clear your calendar.

This year, last-minute filers will have to get on line at the post office for that all-important April 15 postmark. Depositing them in a mailbox or even a mail slot at the post office just won’t do.

U.S. postal officials said this year they could not guarantee any item would get to their processing facilities and get postmarked the same day it was mailed. But customers can go to the service window in any post office retail center and ask for a postmark at no charge.

"For taxpayers filing by mail on April 15, the safest approach is to bring the return directly to the post office counter and obtain a hand-postmarked Certified Mail receipt," said Brian McCuller, partner and tax practice leader at Grassi, an advisory, tax and accounting firm with multiple locations including Jericho, Ronkonkoma and New York City. "Simply dropping it in a mailbox or lobby bin does not guarantee an April 15 postmark, which could create unnecessary risk if the filing deadline is questioned."

The U.S. Postal Service said it did not change its postmarking practices but "made adjustments to our transportation operations that will result in some mail pieces not arriving at our originating processing facilities on the same day that they are mailed," according to information on its website.

The Internal Revenue Service will accept tax filings by mail without penalty after the deadline, as long as they are postmarked April 15, have enough postage and are properly addressed.

Last year, about 94% of the 165 million individual income tax returns were submitted electronically, according to the IRS. About 11 million were submitted using paper returns.

Anthony Basile, a practicing certified public accountant and a tenured professor at Hofstra University teaching tax and accounting courses, said for years people had gone to post offices on tax day, sometimes waiting on line up until midnight.

"Go to the post office, wait, and go to the window," he said. "They have to stamp it but if you really want to make sure it gets there, send it certified, return receipt request, that little green card, because the IRS loses stuff."

Basile pointed out 19 trailer loads of mail sent to the IRS during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic were never opened.

"People were getting all kinds of penalty notices and accountants were trying to get penalties waived because they did send in checks, but they never made it to the IRS, or they made it to the IRS and got lost," he said

By Lisa L. Colangelo

lisa.colangelo@newsday.com@lisalcolangelo

Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.