It's Countdown to Tax Day, April 15

Miami employees will accommodate last-minute tax filers with the traditional drive-through collection in the Miami GMF parking lot on April 15.

With Tax Day only a week away, South Florida postal employees are reminding their customers to pay special attention to Post Office retail hours and blue collection box pick-up times. On Wednesday, April 15, Post Offices will be open regular business hours (many Post Offices regularly are open later than 5 p.m.). Post Office hours, collection box locations and pick-up times, and Self-Service Ship and Mail Center locations are posted at usps.com. Customers also may call 1-800-ASK-USPS for this information.

For customer convenience, postal employees will be stationed in the parking lot of the Miami General Mail Facility, 2200 NW 72 AVE, Miami, from 4:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15. Customers who have properly addressed envelopes with correct postage may give their tax return to employees with a postal identification badge. Mail that is deposited at the drive-through collection will receive the April 15 postmark.

Postal employees offer these tips for last-minute income tax filers:

• Mail early in the day at any Post Office. Be sure to verify Post Office hours of operation.

• If depositing a tax return in a collection box on April 15, double check the pick-up time on the collection box. Your tax envelope must be deposited prior to the last scheduled pick-up time posted to receive the April 15 postmark.

• Affix the correct postage. Some tax returns include many forms and require additional postage. For First-Class letter-sized envelopes, one ounce is 49 cents and 21 cents for each additional ounce. A two-ounce letter-sized envelope is 70 cents. A First-Class flat-sized (8 ½ X 11) envelope, the cost is 98 cents up to one ounce and 21 cents for each additional ounce. That’s $1.19 for a two-ounce flat-sized envelope.

• Customers may purchase postage at the retail counter or at a Self-Service Ship and Mail Center (credit/debit card only) in the Post Office lobby. Stamps also are available at alternate retail access locations posted at usps.com.

• Remember that due to heightened security, mail that bears only postage stamps and weighs more than 13 ounces must be taken by the customer to a Post Office retail counter.

The U.S. Postal Service offers flexible products and services:

Priority Mail Express Service gets your tax return to many locations the next day guaranteed or your money back. Priority Mail Express includes online tracking and signature at delivery.

Priority Mail Service gets your tax return delivered in an average of 2-3 days. Priority Mail with USPS Tracking provides a receipt of mailing for record-keeping purposes and allows the customer to confirm electronically at usps.com, or at 1-800-222-1811, that the mailing was delivered to the Internal Revenue Service.

First-Class Mail Service is an efficient, economical option to mail your return with the all-important April 15 postmark.

Proof of Mailing Services provides customers with peace of mind. Services prove that you mailed your tax return, verify that it was delivered or both: 
-- Certificate of Mailing - This receipt shows evidence you mailed your tax return. 
-- Certified Mail - This receipt proves you mailed your tax return and provides online access to verify the date and time of delivery. 
-- Return Receipt - This receipt verifies both mailing and delivery, returning to you a postcard signed by the person who received your package.

Click-N-Ship Online Service allows you to print Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail labels, with or without postage, from any computer.