If you’re waiting until the last minute to file and mail your taxes, don’t expect to wait in line at the post office until Midnight on Monday, April 15, the last day to file with the Internal Revenue Service.
The post office will not be holding late night drop-off this year due to a decline in the number of people who use the service. With the expansion of e-filing, less and less tax filings are making it to the mail box.
Becky Hernandez with the U.S. Postal Service said since 2008 the number of people using the late night postal collection on Tax Day has been cut by more than half:
"In 2008 it was over 25,000 pieces that we processed that night, and last year we only had a total of 9,000 first-class mail pieces," Hernandez said.
The decision to end the midnight service was to cut costs. The Main Post Office on Perrin Beitel will stop collecting mail at 8 p.m. on Monday. Previously, postal workers would collect mail from the middle of Perrin Bietal during the late hours.
"We had a full-blown operation, but the volume last year continued to decline from years previous so it just didn't justify us making those extra expenses," Hernandez said.
The latest post office to be open will be the Airport location which closes at 10 p.m.
Hernandez said no matter what time you visit the office on Tax Day to expect a lot of traffic, and if you use a mailbox to double check the last pickup time printed on it to avoid any late fees from the IRS.
- More information on filing your taxes and what to do if you can't file by April 15 online at: www.irs.gov
