Are area post offices open late on Tax Day? The answer could hurt you

In years past, tax filers who were filing at the last minute could often go to area post offices up until midnight on tax day and get a hand-stamped postmark, which showed they had beaten the deadline.

But that’s generally not the case these days. One of the major reasons that post offices no longer stay open late on April 15 is that the majority of taxpayers file their returns electronically.

According to the IRS, in 2022 nearly 213.4 million returns and other forms were filed electronically, representing close to 81.2% of all filings. For individual tax returns, 93.8% were filed electronically.

If you file by mail, your return must be postmarked by April 15, so get it in before the last collection time.

Of course, you can always double-check with your local post office to see if by chance they are staying open late. Some post offices may extend their hours, although that is not the case in the South Jersey area.

“None of the New Jersey post offices have extended Tax Day hours,” according to a USPS spokesperson Xavier C. Hernandez, who is in charge of USPS strategic communications for New York City and New Jersey State.

If you file by mail, your return must be postmarked by April 15, so get it in before the last collection time.

You can call USPS directly at 800-ASK-USPS (800-275-8777) for detailed information about post office hours on Tax Day, collection boxes and mail pickups in your area.

Ready to file? Tax day is here, but you can still file for extension

Gobankingrates.com encourages filers to pay attention to collection hours, which aren’t always the same as closing hours and they could affect your tax-filing postmark deadline. Know your post office’s last collection time, which is the time mail is taken for the last period of the day. For example, your post office could be open until 9 p.m. but last collection could be 7 p.m.

It also adds these tips: Watch out for common tax-filing mistakes such as the wrong amount of postage or writing the wrong address or not including all necessary forms. Also, most taxpayers will have to file returns with their states as well. Lastly, taxpayers can call the IRS directly at 800-829-1040 with questions on how to file your tax return or about your tax refund.

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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Filing taxes at the wire? See if your area post office is open late