04/12/2026
Mailing your return this week?
Read this first.
The IRS goes by your postmark date — not when they receive it.
But USPS changed its rules in December 2025. Dropping your return in a blue mailbox on April 15 may not get you an April 15 postmark anymore.
Mail now gets postmarked when it reaches a processing facility — which can be 1–3 days later.
If that postmark says April 16, your filing is late.
What to do instead:
→ Go to a post office counter. Ask for a hand-cancel postmark. It's free.
→ Or use Certified Mail ($5.30) for proof of mailing with a dated stamp.
→ Or just e-file. Immediate confirmation. Zero risk.
Three days left. Don't let a mailbox make your return late.
Tax Buddy ai — tax clarity for real people.