To give you a great browsing experience free of charge, this site uses cookies. Cookies help us personalize content and ads, provide social media features, track your preferences, and analyze traffic. Forbes may share this information with its advertising, analytics, and social media partners, who may use it with information you have provided to them in connection with their services. No matter how close to the wire you get, as long as your return is postmarked by April 17 remember that Tax Day is on Tuesday, April 17 this year , the IRS considers your federal income tax return filed on time. And the IRS loves documentation. The best proof is registered mail. The law that governs timely filed returns can be found at , which states: A such registration shall be prima facie evidence that the return, claim, statement, or other document was delivered to the agency, officer, or office to which addressed; and B the date of registration shall be deemed the postmark date. Prima facie evidence is a fancy way of saying sufficient proof lawyers love Latin. In other words, the IRS will only accept registered or certified mail per the Regs as sufficient proof of mailing. You have zero proof. The only real proof that the IRS will accept for a mailed return is certified or registered mail. The IRS also requires that you address your tax form properly. Post Office has extended hours on Tax Day at some locations to make life easier. You can use the Post Office locator to figure out the hours of those post offices near located near you. Remember that most private delivery services cannot deliver to a P. If you are filing a joint return, enter the Social Security Number shown first on your tax return. Just pop it in the envelope together with a completed downloads as a pdf. And for the love of Pete, do not send cash. If you want to pay in cash, or for more payment options, including by credit card, click. Of course, you can avoid all of the post office hassles by e-filing your return. The IRS encourages taxpayers to e-file, claiming, among other things, that it leads to faster processing times. Payment options remain the same. And one more thing: If you run into trouble, help is available. For most taxpayers, the best number to call is 1. Customer service representatives are available Monday through Friday, 7 a. Residents of Alaska and Hawaii should follow Pacific time. Puerto Rico phone lines are open 8 a.
