BILLINGS, MT — Don’t look now but tax day – Thursday, April 15, this year – is just around the corner. The non-tax supported U.S. Postal Service wants to make tax day less taxing.

Ten larger Montana Post Office locations will again offer late tax mail drop off on April 15. Four of those postal locations will also offer later self-service for purchasing stamps and certain other mailing services using lobby Automated Postal Center units. See list below.

Montana residents can call the postal customer line at 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777) for these locations.

The IRS expects 141 million federal tax returns nationwide this year, including 471,000 returns from Montana. About a third of those tax returns are expected to be sent by mail according to the IRS. About 25 to 33% of Americans wait until the last week to file or mail their returns. This is because of owing money, being too busy beforehand, or simple procrastination.

Below are tax mail tips and those Montana Post Offices offering April 15 late tax mail drop-off and APC services. All other Post Offices will have regular hours and collection times.

Tax Mail tips:

• Apply proper postage and stamps, especially with extra forms/schedules. It costs 44 cents for the first ounce; 17 cents for each additional ounce. One ounce is about four pages.
• If you use a larger envelope, First Class postage is 88 cents for the first ounce, 17 cents for each additional ounce.
• If you are not sure about the postage, it is best to add additional stamps or to take your tax mail forms in your envelope to the Post Office to ensure that correct postage is applied.
• If you use a non-IRS labeled envelope, make sure you print the proper IRS address.
• Print your return address in the upper-left-hand corner of your tax mail envelope.
• Customers who wish certification that their tax mail form is received by the IRS, should mail it using Certified Mail Service/Return Receipt - available at your local Post Office.
• While you are encouraged to mail your tax return before April 15, if you do wait to mail it late on tax day, be sure to drop off your tax return at a postal location that offers late tax mail pick-up.
• Customers with tax questions can contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040; or www.irs.gov

Montana Post Offices offering April 15, 2010 late tax mail collections and/or self-serve Automated Postal Center (APC) service:

• Billings Main Post Office, 841 S. 26th St.
  • Midnight collections inside lobby drop and at outside blue collection boxes.
• Billings Pioneer Station, 724 15th St . W. and Centennial Station, 2250 Grant Rd.
  • Automated Postal Center (APC) available in lobby for postage sales only. No late collections at these two locations.
• Great Falls Post Office Annex, 1409 14 St. SW
  • Midnight collections located at outside blue collection boxes.
• Great Falls Main Post Office, 215 1st Ave. N.
  • Automated Postal Center (APC) available in lobby until 10:00 PM for postage sales only. No late collections at this location.
• Bozeman Main Post Office, 2201 Baxter Lane
  • Automated Postal Center (APC) available in lobby for postage sales only.
  • Midnight collections inside lobby drop and at outside blue collection boxes.
• Bozeman Babcock Station, 32 E. Babcock St.
  • Midnight collections at outside blue collection boxes.
• Butte Main Post Office, 701 Dewey Blvd.
  • Midnight collections inside lobby drop and at outside blue collection boxes.
• Missoula Main Post Office, 1100 W. Kent
  • Automated Postal Center (APC) available in lobby for postage sales only.
  • Midnight collections inside lobby drop and at outside blue collection boxes.
• Missoula Mullan Station, 3150 Great Northern Ave
  • Automated Postal Center (APC) available in lobby for postage sales only. No late collections at this location.
• Helena Main Post Office, 2300 N. Harris St.
  • Midnight collections inside lobby drop and at outside blue collection boxes.
• Kalispell Main Post Office, 350 N. Meridian Rd.
  • Midnight collections inside lobby drop and at outside blue collection boxes.

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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.