HAMPTON ROADS, VA - Because April 15 falls on a Sunday and April 16 is Emancipation Day, a legal holiday in Washington, DC., the 2006 federal tax filing deadline is Tuesday, April 17. Approximately 40 percent of the 136 million total federal returns the IRS expects to receive this year will be sent via the mail.

The following Hampton Roads Post Offices are providing extended retail hours or lobby assistance, as well as mail collection, on Tuesday, April 17, to assist last minute federal tax filers and ensure their returns receive the April 17 postmark.

Chesapeake Main Office, 1425 N. Battlefield Blvd., Normal retail service until 6:30 p.m., assistance in lobby until 8 p.m. to weigh mail and keep stamp vending equipment and the Automated Postal Center (APC) operating efficiently. Employees will be collecting mail outside until 8 p.m.

Hampton Main Office, 809 Aberdeen Rd., Normal retail and collection service until 7 p.m.

Norfolk Main Office, 600 Church St., Normal retail service until 6 p.m., assistance in lobby until midnight to weigh mail and keep stamp vending equipment operating efficiently. Employees will be collecting mail outside until midnight.

Virginia Beach Main Office/Lynnhaven Station, 501 Viking Dr., Retail and collection service until 8 p.m.

An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits 146 million homes and businesses, six days a week. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to cover its operating expenses. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $73 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.