NEW YORK CITY –- Post offices in all five boroughs of NYC as well as Western Long Island ZIP Code areas of 110, 111 and 116, are prepared to handle additional volume for the April 15 federal tax filing deadline. These post offices will maintain regular business hours on April 15, 2015, typically referred to as Tax Day.

Customers looking for a late night post office on Tax Day can visit the  James A Farley Post Office, 421 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10199, which is extending retail counter hours until midnight.  Postmaster Elvin Mercado tells us, “Anyone inside the Farley post office and on line before midnight will receive service and their mail will be postmarked April 15.”

Postal customers using a credit or debit card can opt to avoid retail lines by using one of 8 Self Service Kiosks offered at the Farley post office available 24/7 all year long.

The USPS also reminds customers of the many conveniently situated Approved Postal Providers  throughout NYC and Long Island for easy access to postal services.  These include, Self Service Kiosks, Contract Postal Units, Approved Shipping Retail Centers, banks, retail and grocery stores and pharmacies which sell postage stamps and many offering the full suite of postal products and services, such as Certified Mail, Priority Express Mail and Priority Mail. Many of these locations offer later hours outside of regular post office business schedules. Information is also available by calling the USPS Customer Care Center at 1-800-ASK-USPS (800-275-8777).

TIPS FOR MAILING TAX RETURNS:

• First-Class letter-size postage is 49 cents for the first ounce and 21 cents for each additional ounce.
• If you use a larger envelope, First Class postage is 98 cents for the first ounce and 21 cents for each additional ounce.
• Customers wanting certification that their tax forms are received by the IRS, should mail using Certified Mail Service with a Return Receipt.
• Make sure your tax return form is signed and dated and all schedules and supporting documents are enclosed.
• Affix the appropriate postage, especially since the item may weigh more than an ounce. Have a postal sales and service associate weigh and rate the item for you. Tax agencies will not pay postage due and your short-paid return will be returned to sender – and you may miss the deadline (tip: 5 pages equals’ approximately one ounce).
• Be sure to include a return address on your envelope. Short-paid items without a return address will be sent to the postal mail recovery office for determination of the sender, delaying its return.
• Tax forms are no longer available at Post Offices.   You can find forms online at http://www.irs.gov/ (Federal forms) or http://www.tax.state.ny.us/forms/ (NYS forms).

Before you deposit your tax return into a collection box, check the pick up schedule adhered to the box. Mail deposited before the last scheduled pick up time will receive an April 15 postmark.

Tax Day Points of Interest:

• Over the last decade, in today’s communications era many are turning to the extended electronic platform being offered for financial services.
• As of March 28, 91 percent of tax returns nationwide this year have been filed online, according to Jennifer Jenkins, IRS Field Media Relations.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

# # #

Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm. A complete list of the holiday shipping deadlines can be found at usps.com/holidaynews.

For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Service public relations professional, please go to about.usps.com/news/media-contacts/usps-local-media-contacts.pdf. Follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/usps), Instagram (instagram.com/uspostalservice), Pinterest (pinterest.com/uspsstamps), LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/usps), subscribe to our channel on YouTube (youtube.com/usps), like us on Facebook (facebook.com/usps) and view our Postal Postsblog (uspsblog.com).

For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and usps.com/postalfacts.