02/03/2026
Starting in January 2026 the postmark date of your tax return or other items to the IRS may be late unless you request a manual postmark
The postmarks on your letters and packages may no longer reflect when you mailed them.
In late 2025, the USPS announced that, going forward, date stamps in postmarks would indicate when mail is received at processing facilities, not when it’s collected by a mail carrier or dropped off at a post office. As a result of adjustments to transportation operations, some mail might not arrive at a processing facility the same day it was sent.
That means mail that must be postmarked by a certain date for tax returns and other correspondence to the IRS could be marked as late if you wait until the last minute to send it. You’ll need to get it in your mailbox sooner, or take it to a post office to request a manual postmark that aligns with the date you send it.
