27 post offices to offer service for tax deadline

Attention, last-last-last-minute taxpayers: If the two extra days Sunday and Monday aren’t enough to drop your federal tax returns in the mail, 27 Hawaii post offices will give tax returns a deadline-beating postmark up to midnight Tuesday.

Typically, April 15 is the deadline to mail federal tax returns. But because that day is a Saturday, then Monday would normally be the deadline. However, Monday is Emancipation Day, a holiday in the District of Columbia. So the Internal Revenue Service will accept returns postmarked by midnight Tuesday without penalty.

The 27 post offices, listed below, will have blue collection boxes or in-wall mail slots labeled with bright orange signs that read “Tax Mail Drop — Final Pick-Up Midnight.”

Tax forms with correct postage deposited in these designated boxes and slots by midnight will receive April 18 postmarks.

All other collection boxes and post office lobby drops won’t have mail retrieved and postmarked beyond their normal posted times on Tuesday.

Customers needing retail service should note that all post offices will close at their normal times Tuesday. The last to close will be the Honolulu Airport location at 8 p.m.

The post offices offering late collection and postmarking:

>> Oahu: Airport, Downtown, Ewa Beach, Hawaii Kai, Kailua, Kaneohe, Kapalama, Makiki, Mililani, Pearl City, Waialae-Kahala, Waialua, Waianae, Waikiki, Waipahu

>> Maui: Kahului, Kihei, Lahaina, Makawao, Pukalani, Wailuku

>> Hawaii island: Hilo, Kailua-Kona, Kamuela

>> Kauai: Lihue

>> Molokai: Kaunakakai

>> Lanai: Lanai City

The Postal Service used to extend retail hours of operation and provide curbside service on the tax deadline day but no longer does because so many people — about 90 percent — file their taxes online.