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Important USPS Change Could Affect Tax Filing Deadlines
Sue Schloemer
Jan 15, 2026
As tax season approaches, we want to make you aware of an important change at the U.S. Postal Service that could affect how tax returns, payments, and other time-sensitive tax documents are treated.
Beginning December 24, the U.S. Postal Service modified certain transportation and processing practices. As a result, a postmark may no longer reflect the date you placed your tax documents in the mail.
OUR RECOMMENDATION
For most taxpayers, electronic filing and electronic payments are the safest way to ensure timely compliance. If mailing is required or preferred, planning ahead and obtaining proof of mailing is more important than ever.
For any time-sensitive mailings, we strongly recommend avoiding blue collection boxes. Instead, bring your documents directly inside your local post office and request a clerk to manually stamp them at the counter, or consider mailing them well in advance.
WHAT CHANGED?
Historically, tax rules have relied on the postmark date to determine whether a return or payment was filed on time (“timely mailed, timely filed”). Under the USPS’s updated operations:
- Mail is postmarked when it arrives at a USPS processing facility, not necessarily the day it is deposited in a mailbox or submitted at the post office counter.
- A tax return or payment dropped in a mailbox on the due date may receive a later postmark, potentially appearing late.
- Mail from smaller or rural post offices may not be transported to a processing facility until the following day.
While the Postal Service states it has not changed its “postmarking practices,” the operational changes mean that delays between mailing and postmarking are more likely.
WHY THIS MATTERS FOR TAXPAYERS
Many tax deadlines depend on a postmark to establish timely filing or payment, including:
- Federal, state, and local individual and business income tax returns
- Estimated tax payments
- Extension requests
- Charitable contributions made by mail that must qualify for a specific tax year
- Responses to IRS or state tax notices
If the postmark reflects a later date than when you mailed the item, the IRS or a state or local taxing authority could treat the filing or payment as late—potentially triggering penalties, interest, or the loss of a deduction.
BEST PRACTICES FOR MAILING TAX DOCUMENTS
To reduce the risk of missed deadlines, we recommend the following:
- File and pay electronically whenever possible
- Mail tax-related documents several days before the due date
- Go to a post office counter and request a hand-cancelled (manual) postmark if mailing close to a deadline
- Use certified mail or another trackable mailing service and keep proof of mailing
- Avoid relying on mailbox drop-offs on the due date for critical tax submissions
Recent USPS postage changes affect key tax filing deadlines, for both businesses and individuals, as well as other important items such as S-corporation elections and tax notice responses that require action within a specific number of days from the date of notice. To avoid potential delays and ensure timely delivery, plan ahead and take extra precautions with your important tax-related mailings.
Schedule an appointment to learn how we can support you
© Copyright 2026. All rights reserved.
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Sue enjoys helping clients succeed. Her breadth and depth of accounting knowledge combined with over 25 years of…
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