7 Maui County Post Offices Offer Tax Day Late Collections

United States Post Office, Wailuku, Hawaiʻi. Photo by Wendy Osher.

A total of 26 Post Offices across the state, including 7 in Maui County, will offer late collection of mail from specially marked collection boxes on federal Tax Day, Monday, Apr. 18.  This is to accommodate last-minute filers of federal tax returns.

Tax forms with correct postage deposited in specially designated boxes and slots by midnight will receive Apr. 18 postmarks.

Maui County post offices participating in the late collections include: Kahului, Kīhei, Lahaina, Makawao, Wailuku, Kaunakakai, and Lānaʻi City.

According to the IRS, 92% of tax returns nationwide this year have been filed online. Due to the declining number of citizens who submit hard-copy tax returns by mail, the Postal Service no longer provides curbside service for last minute filers.

Taxpayers have until Monday, Apr. 18 to file their federal tax returns and pay any taxes due because Apr. 15 falls on Emancipation Day, a holiday in the District of Columbia.

The locations of the 7 Maui County Post Offices offering late collections are:

Maui

Kahului Post Office

Kīhei Post Office

Lahaina (Main) Post Office

Makawao Post Office

Wailuku Post Office

Molokaʻi

Kaunakakai Post Office

Lānaʻi

Lānaʻi City Post Office

The Postal Service provides the following friendly reminders regarding the mailing of tax returns:

• Not all boxes will be collected late – If you are mailing your return in a blue collection box or a drop slot at the post office, be sure to check the schedule for the last collection time. Except in specially marked boxes at designated locations (see above list), returns deposited AFTER the last collection time will NOT receive Apr. 18 postmarks.

• Beat the rush, mail early – Mail your tax returns early in the day. Post Offices typically become congested during lunch time and in the late afternoon and evening on the Tax Day deadline.

• Ensure proper postage – Be sure to check that adequate postage is applied to your tax return. First-Class postage for a one-ounce letter is 47 cents. Large envelopes and items weighing more than one ounce or greater than ¼-inch thick require additional postage; check with a postal clerk to determine correct postage, or check the Postal Service web site at www.usps.gov for a postage rate calculator. Tax agencies do not accept postage due mail; tax returns bearing insufficient postage will be returned—meaning taxpayers may be penalized for filing late tax returns.

• Proof of mailing/delivery – Mailers seeking proof of mailing and proof of delivery should request “Certified Mail with Return Receipt” when mailing tax returns.

• Ensure proper addressing – Use pre-addressed labels where possible. Write clearly. Take special care to ensure that handwritten envelopes are legible. Include a return address. Make sure that bulky envelopes are securely sealed.

• Heavy packages require personal drop off – Mail with postage paid by postage stamps (as opposed to postage meter strips) that weighs more than 12 ounces must be presented in person to a clerk at a Post Office. Returns meeting this description that are deposited in collection boxes will be returned to their senders.

• Tax forms not available at Post Offices – Post Offices do not carry tax forms. Suggestion: Check out the IRS’s web site for downloadable forms.