AMARILLO, TX —Postmaster James Chambers today announced local plans for the Post Office’s Thursday, April 15 tax deadline operations.  To accommodate last minute tax filers, all mail put in the collection boxes at the Amarillo Main Post Office, located at 2301 Ross St., before 12 midnight will receive the April 15 postmark.  Unlike previous years, there will be no other late night collection points in the city, and no extended window services will be offered beyond normal retail hours of operation.

The Postmaster said this year’s Post Office operations have been scaled back because demand for late night mailing services on the April 15 tax deadline has decreased significantly in recent years, largely due to increased use of electronic tax filing. 

Only IRS returns collected at the Amarillo Main Post Office location before 12 midnight will receive the April 15 postmark. This does not apply to mail dropped in any other collection boxes after normal collection times posted on the box. Postal customers should look for the last collection time posted on the collection box to ensure their return will have an April 15 postmark.

Customers needing to purchase postage for their tax returns after normal retail hours may do so from the Automated Postal Center (APCs) located in the lobby of the Main Post Office.  APCs accept debit or credit cards, have scales available to weigh mail and calculate correct postage, and are available for purchasing books of stamps or postage 24 hours a day, seven days a week.   

For last minute filers, here are some Postal Service mailing tips:

• Use First-Class postage.
• Use pre-addressed labels where possible. Write clearly. Take special care to ensure that handwritten envelopes are legible, and include a return address.
• Affix sufficient postage. One ounce is 44-cents; each additional ounce up to 3.5 ounces costs 17 cents per additional ounce.   Oversized envelopes and mail weighing over 3.5 ounces cannot be mailed at the First-Class letter rate and will require additional postage.  Customers may call 1-800-ASK-USPS or go online to usps.com to obtain correct rate information
• Double-check postage. Weigh any return that feels heavier than one ounce. The IRS will not accept postage due mail; tax returns bearing insufficient postage will be returned - meaning taxpayers may be penalized for filing late tax returns.
• Avoid the mad rush at the post office. Mail returns in local collection boxes, but remember to make certain that the posted pick-up time has not passed to ensure returns will have an April 15 postmark.
• For customers who send original receipts, registered mail is a good choice.
• Make certain bulky envelopes are securely sealed.

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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 tax dollars. 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 26th in the 2008 Fortune 500.