Update: Looking to get that midnight postmark? Sorry, but Austin's post offices are no longer staying open until midnight for tax day. Read more here.
11:59 p.m. is the deadline to have your tax returns postmarked. The General Mail Facility at 8225 Cross Park Drive near Anderson Lane and U.S. 290 East will be collecting mail until midnight to help procrastinators.
But unlike in years past, post office officials don’t expect a huge late-night rush. Many people now use the internet to submit their tax forms. Sam Bolen is a spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service. Bolen says he’s not sure how much longer Austin will have a post office open late for Tax Day.
“It’ll all depend on the volume of mail that we get. If at some point nobody is doing it, we probably wouldn’t offer it but for the next year or so we probably will,” said Bolen.
Bolen says the late collection will not cost the post office extra money in overtime because the GMF Austin location is staffed 24 hours a day.
He says if you are planning to mail in your tax forms late tonight—make sure you have the correct postage.
“If you have more than a sheet or two of paper you might want to double check and make sure it’s not more than an ounce,” said Bolen. “It’s 45 cents for the first stamp and then 20 cents for each additional ounce up to 3.5 ounces, then it goes into another rate classification.”
Post Office personnel will not be available late to assist customers, only to collect the mail bins.
