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Mail and taxes

USPS ready to serve millions of last-minute filers

Customers stand in line at a Post Office on April 15, 2008. Photo: The New York Times
Customers stand in line at a Post Office on April 15, 2008. Photo: The New York Times

Millions of taxpayers continue to mail their returns each April 15, although not in the numbers they once did.

The Postal Service cancelled 72.9 million pieces of First-Class Mail on Tax Day in 2014, down from 100.4 million pieces a decade earlier. (USPS doesn’t distinguish between tax returns and other types of First-Class Mail.)

More than 4.8 million customers visited Post Offices on Tax Day 2014, generating $48.2 million in revenue.

The number of taxpayers who file returns electronically has skyrocketed, but some people may be giving mail a fresh look this year. To combat identity theft and fraud, experts have encouraged consumers to mail returns from Post Offices.

“The Postal Service is always ready to serve customers — including taxpayers who want to file with confidence by using our products and services,” said Retail and Customer Service Operations VP Kelly Sigmon.

USPS will offer extended hours at many Post Offices on Tax Day, along with services that allow taxpayers to show their return was mailed, delivered or both.

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