Honolulu — A total of 27 Post Offices across the state will offer late collection of mail from specially marked collection boxes on Tax Day, Thursday, Apr. 15, to accommodate last-second filers of federal tax returns.

The 27 Post Offices listed below will have collection boxes and/or lobby drop slots labeled with special bright orange signs indicating Tax Mail Drop – Final Pick-Up Midnight. Tax forms with correct postage deposited in those specially designated boxes and slots 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
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
Makiki Post Office
Mililani Post Office
Wahiawa Post Office
Waialae Kahala Post Office
Waianae Post Office
Waikiki Post Office
Waipahu Post Office

Maui
Kahului Post Office
Kihei Post Office
Lahaina (Main) Post Office
Makawao Post Office
Pukalani Post Office
Wailuku Post Office

Hawaii
Hilo (Airport) Post Office
Kailua-Kona Post Office
Kamuela Post Office

Kauai
Lihue Main Post Office

Molokai
Kaunakakai Post Office

Lanai
Lanai City Post Office

The IRS expects the total number of individual tax returns, both electronic and paper, to total about 140 million in 2010, and for e-file returns to exceed last year’s record high of 95 million.

Due to the declining numbers of citizens who submit hard-copy tax returns by mail, the Postal Service has discontinued its tradition of providing curbside service to last-second filers of tax mail 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 congested during lunch time and 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 a one-ounce letter is 44 cents. Large envelopes and items weighing more than one ounce or greater than ¼-inch thick require additional postage; check with a postal clerk to determine correct postage, or check the Postal Service web site at www.usps.gov 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 seeking 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 13 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 – Post Offices do not carry tax forms. Suggestion: Check out the IRS’s web site for downloadable forms.

# # #

Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/welcome.htm.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no direct support from taxpayers. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 28th in the 2009 Fortune 500.