Post Offices No Longer Open Late For Taxes [POLL]

Filers who used to race to the post officet for the coveted April 15th postmark on their returns have only one late night option in New Jersey.

Many U.S. Post Office branches used to stay open until midnight  and sometimes created a "party" atmosphere as frantic filers pulled up to get the April 15th postmark.

However, as nearly 100 million taxpayers, or 77%,  filed their taxes online last  year, the number of branches staying open until midnight has dwindled down to just a few.

By comparison, only 28% e-filed their return in 2000.

The only branch staying open late in New Jersey is the  Bellmawr distribution center located at 421 Benigno Boulevard which will stay open until 10 p.m. He says those that do wait until the last minute tend to mail earlier in the day.

Southern New Jersey Postal Service spokesman Ray Daivtolo says they've been slowly decreasing the number of locations open late "over the past five or six years." He says there have been no complaints about the lack of locations open late on April 15th.

"Along with the US Postal Service losing $25 million, we find that it is better for our organization to provide this kind of central service to many of our customers," adds McKinny Boyd, another spokesman told KHOU TV in Houston.

There are several locations around the state open until 7:00p.m. includiing Basking Ridge, Bayonne, Colonia, Edgewater, Lake Hiawatha, Linden, Little Falls, Main Avenue Station in Clifton, Maplewood, Metuchen, Monroe, Montclair, Newark Main Post Office, Parlin, Somerville, Tenafly, Warren (Somerset County), West Orange, Woodbridge, and Woodcliff Station in North Bergen.

The Post Office says that mail must be deposited before the last collection time at the post office or collection box on April 15 to receive an April 15th postmark.

Those needing a filing extension should go to the Free File link on IRS.gov and fill out the electronic version of Form 4868.