RTO PA

04/08/2026

April 15th is quickly approaching and just a note that RTO offices will be closing at 3 pm that day. Please make sure to come in before that if you are needing to pick up anything on that day!

03/09/2026

USPS postmark changes: New rules that could delay mailed tax returns

Beginning December 24, 2025, the United States Postal Service (USPS) quietly implemented significant updates to how postmarks are defined and applied. These changes directly affect taxpayers who plan to mail their tax returns to avoid e-filing fees and may inadvertently put them at risk of late filing penalties if they rely on old assumptions about postmark timing.

As a tax preparer, understanding these changes is essential so you can properly advise your clients before they drop a return in the mailbox thinking they're “safe” on a deadline day.

What changed with USPS postmarks?
Historically, if taxpayers deposited their tax return in a mailbox or handed it to USPS on the due date, the postmark would reflect that day. This is no longer the case.

According to the USPS’s updated Domestic Mail Manual, the postmark date now reflects the moment the envelope is first processed by an automated USPS sorting facility, not the moment the taxpayer hands over the envelope or drops it off.

In practice, this means:
A return dropped in a mailbox on April 15 could be sent to a regional processing center and not receive a postmark until April 16 or later.
Local offices and collection boxes are no longer tied to same-day postmark expectations.
USPS explicitly warns that the postmark date may not match the date the customer mailed the item, due to transportation delays and consolidated processing operations.
This inconsistency puts taxpayers at risk because the IRS still uses the postmark date, not the mailing date, to determine timely filing under IRC §7502.

03/02/2026

For our farmers that are looking at transitioning to family members.

These retreats are dedicated time for hands-on planning and discussion on farm transition for the whole farm family. All generations actively involved in the farm should attend the retreat together, including spouses, partners and other relevant parties.The farm transition program helps farm familie...