Honolulu — A total of 27 Post Offices across the state will offer late collection of mail from specially marked collection boxes on Tax Day, Wednesday, Apr. 15, to accommodate last-second filers of federal tax returns.
The 27 Post Offices listed below will have collection boxes labeled with a special bright orange sign indicating Tax Mail Drop – Final Pick-Up Midnight. All mail deposited in those specially designated collection boxes by midnight will receive Apr. 15 postmarks. Collection boxes and Post Office lobby drops at all other Post Offices will be collected only at their regular posted times on April 15.
All Post Offices will be closing at their regular times. The Airport Post Office in Honolulu will be the last to close — at 8 p.m.on that night and will be the best bet for last-second customers who need to purchase stamps or special services.
The locations of the 27 Post Offices offering late collections are:
| Oahu | Maui |
| Airport Main Post Office Downtown Post Office Ewa Beach Post Office Haleiwa Post Office Hawaii Kai Post Office Kailua Post Office Kaneohe Post Office Kapalama Post Office Laie Post Office Makiki Post Office Mililani Post Office Waialae-Kahala Post Office Waianae Post Office Waikiki Post Office Waipahu Post Office |
Kahului Post Office Kihei Post Office Lahaina (Main) Post Office Makawao Post Office Pukalani Post Office Wailuku Post Office |
| Hawaii | Kauai |
| Hilo (Airport) Post Office Kailua-Kona Post Office Kamuela Post Office |
Lihue Post Office |
| Molokai | Lanai |
| Kaunakakai Post Office | Lanai City Post Office |
According to the Internal Revenue Service, 63 million of the 148 million tax returns filed nationally last year were done hardcopy through the U.S. Mail.
Due to the declining numbers of citizens who submit their returns by mail (the IRS estimates that 60 percent of all federal tax returns will be filed electronically this year) the Postal Service has discontinued its tradition of providing curbside service to last-second filers of federal tax returns at its drive-by collection boxes.
The Postal Service provides the following friendly reminders regarding the mailing of tax returns:
- Not all boxes will be collected late — If you are mailing your return in a blue collection box or a drop slot at the post office, be sure to check the schedule for the last collection time. Except in specially marked boxes at designated locations (see above list), returns deposited AFTER the last collection time will NOT receive Apr. 15 postmarks.
- Beat the rush, mail early — Mail your tax returns early in the day. Post Offices typically become very congested in the late afternoon and evening on the tax day deadline.
- Ensure proper postage — Be sure to check that adequate postage is applied to your tax return. First-Class postage for one ounce is 42 cents. Weigh any return that feels heavier than one ounce. Add 17 cents for each additional ounce up to 13 ounces. Heavier pieces go Priority Mail. Check the Postal Service web site at usps.com for a postage rate calculator. Tax agencies do not accept postage due mail; tax returns bearing insufficient postage will be returned—meaning taxpayers may be penalized for filing late tax returns.
- Proof of mailing/delivery — Mailers who desire proof of mailing and delivery should request “Certified Mail with Return Receipt” when mailing tax returns.
- Ensure proper addressing — Use pre-addressed labels where possible. Write clearly. Take special care to ensure that handwritten envelopes are legible. Include a return address. Make sure that bulky envelopes are securely sealed.
- Heavy packages require personal drop off —Mail with postage paid by postage stamps (as opposed to postage meter strips) that weighs more than 16 ounces must be presented in person to a clerk at a Post Office. Returns meeting this description that are deposited in collection boxes will be returned to their senders.
- Tax forms not available at Post Offices — Most Post Offices do not carry tax forms; only the most basic forms are available in Post Offices that do. Suggestion: Check out the IRS’s web site for downloadable forms.
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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 149 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes, six days a week. It has 34,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.