Sending Your Taxes By Mail

AUSTIN, TX –  Tax Day is Tuesday, April 15.  Across the country, postal employees are gearing up to provide last-minute relief to millions of taxpayers - right up to midnight.

When taxpayers mail their taxes with the U. S. Postal Service, they enjoy the benefits of the “timely mailing as timely filing/paying” rule for tax returns and payments.  As long as the return is postmarked by April 15, the IRS considers the return to be filed on time.

Here are a few tips to remember before rushing to the post office:

• Mailing Options
  Three mailing options apply a postmark to your return, making you eligible for the “timely mailing” rule!
  Express Mail® Service
  Your tax return can be delivered to many locations the next day guaranteed or your money back. Express Mail includes online tracking and signature at delivery.
  Priority Mail® Service
  Get your tax return delivered in an average of 2-3 days.
  First-Class Mail® Service
  First-Class Mail® is a quick, reliable, and economical way to mail your return.
• Write clearly.  Handwritten tax return envelopes should be legible - and include a return address.
• Double-check postage.  Weigh any return that feels heavier than one ounce.  Tax agencies do not accept postage due mail; tax returns bearing insufficient postage will be returned - meaning taxpayers will be penalized for filing late tax returns.  
• Mail returns in local mailboxes.  This helps avoid a mad rush to the post office.  But keep in mind; collection boxes have final pick-up times; look for the last time posted on the box to ensure returns will have an April 15 postmark.
• Use Proof of Mailing Services to provide peace of mind.  Certified Mail proves that you mailed your tax return and gives you online access to verify the date and time of delivery.  Return Receipt verifies both mailing and delivery, returning a postcard to you signed by the person who received your package.
• For IRS forms, go to irs.gov.  Austin post offices do not have IRS forms.
• For those postal customers who wait until the deadline, Postmaster Hernández advised that the following location will accept last minute tax returns until midnight in Austin:  Main/GMF Post Office - located at 8225 Cross Park Drive.   Special services such as certified mail will also be offered at this location through the Automated Postage Center (APC) with payment by debit or credit cards only.

Austin Post Offices open until 7:00 p.m. are Chimney Corners Station at 3575 Far West Boulevard, Mockingbird Station at 7310 Manchaca Road and Oak Hill Station at 6104 Old Fredericksburg Road.  Downtown Station located at 510 Guadalupe Street and Balcones Station located at 11900 Jollyville Road are open until 6:30 p.m.

If you have any questions about the amount of postage required for your tax returns, simply call our toll-free number 1-800-275-8777 or visit our web site at www.usps.com.