Federal Tax Administration

The U.S. Postal Service has implemented a new rule, effective Dec. 24, 2025, redefining a postmark as the date an item is processed rather than when it is received, a change that could affect deadlines for mail-in ballots, tax returns and other time-sensitive documents. The shift comes amid a major USPS consolidation that leaves more than 70 percent of post offices over 50 miles from regional processing centers, potentially adding transit time before postmarking and prompting officials to warn voters and taxpayers to mail critical items earlier or request manual postmarks at staffed locations.