“Plan Ahead” For Tax Night

Fort Myers, Cape Coral Fl — Special Tax Night Stamp Purchase and Midnight Postmark Will Not Be Available This Year.

Attention income tax procrastinators! Here’s a strong recommendation from the Post Office: DON’T! Don’t plan to mail that return at night on April 15! Why? The Page Field Post Office will not be open to either accept your return for an April 15 postmark or sell you the necessary stamps to mail the return! The Page Field Post Office (Fort Myers) is currently undergoing a facelift and construction will prevent employees from participating in the drive-through operation that has been a standard for the past 15 years.

If you insist on waiting until April 15 to send your income tax return, here are your options:
The Page Field Post Office, 2655 N Airport Rd, will close at 5:30 p.m. Mail deposited after that time will not receive an April 15 postmark.

The Cape Coral Central Post Office, 1030 SE 9th Ave., will remain open for business until 9:00 p.m. Both stamps and an April 15 postmark will be available until then.

The Fort Myers Processing & Distribution Center, 14080 Jetport Loop Rd., Fort Myers, will collect mail from the outside blue collection boxes at midnight to accommodate an April 15 postmark, but no retail stamp sales will be available.

All other Post Offices and contract Post Offices in the Fort Myers/Cape Coral area will close at the end of normal business hours; collection of mail from blue collection boxes will be the usual posted times.

The Post Office would also like to remind you of several other important details in mailing your tax returns:
Should you decide not to fold your return and put it in a large (9x12 or larger) envelope, additional postage is required, even if the envelope still only weighs an ounce. The minimum charge is $.80, but increases as the weight increases. In addition, any envelope weighing over 1 ounce will require additional postage ($.17 for each ounce) and the IRS will not accept mail that is short paid.

Any piece of mail (regardless of dimensions) weighing over 13 ounces must be handed to a postal clerk; it cannot be deposited in a blue collection box even though correct postage is affixed. This regulation was implemented last year because of security reasons.

Should you want to send your return via certified mail (proof of mailing), the charge for this service is $2.65; again, this mail piece must be handled by a postal clerk. Return receipts are $2.15; electronic return receipts are $.85.

The old adage, "plan ahead," certainly needs to be adhered to for this year’s April 15 tax deadline. Those who procrastinate and wait until the last minute may find themselves in that proverbial "pickle" when it comes to mailing the return after normal Post Office business hours. Don’t be caught in this dilemma. Plan ahead.