Watch Out For USPS Mail Changes Impacting Tax Deadlines

Many taxpayers rely on the postmark to prove that a document (such as a tax return, tax election, court filing, 30 day notice reply) was timely filed.

A U.S. Postal Service (USPS) postmark used to indicate the date when mail was dropped in a mailbox or submitted at the post office counter.

Now, USPS notes that the postmark reflects the date an envelope is first processed by an automated USPS sorting machine, potentially days after it was dropped off – not the actual drop-off date.

If taxpayers want a postmark on the same date they have 3 options:

·        Manual (local) postmarks are applied to mailpieces, upon a customer’s request, free of charge at the retail counter of every Post Office, station, or branch. Manual (local) postmarks at retail locations indicate the location of the retail unit at which the postmark is applied and the date on which the mailpiece was accepted at that unit.

·        Postage Validation Imprint (PVI) Labels at Retail Locations. These are printed by Postal Service employees at retail locations and are applied to a mailpiece by a Postal Service employee upon acceptance of the piece. These labels indicate the postage paid for a mailpiece and, like manual (local) postmarks applied at retail locations, indicate the location of the retail unit at which the postmark is applied and the date on which the mailpiece was accepted at that unit.

·        Customers who wish to retain a record or proof of the date on which the Postal Service first accepted possession of their mailpiece(s) may purchase a Certificate of Mailing. Registered Mail and Certified Mail services also provide mailing receipts for individual mailpieces.