Post Offices in the Bay Area Where You Can File Your Taxes Last-Minute

CLICK HERE FOR POST OFFICES OPEN LATE ON APRIL 15, 2013.

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In terms of filing your taxes last-minute, it may be later than you think. Fewer post offices have extended hours this week than in past years, and many won't stay open till midnight. The deadline for filing is midnight tonight.

"Online filing of income tax forms has increased dramatically and in fact, according to the IRS, right now 77 % of the more than 143 million returns are filed online," Don Smeraldi, a US Postal Service spokesman for the Pacific area, told KQED's Joshua Johnson.

Online filing has increased steadily in recent years, ending a long-standing  tradition of running to the post office at the last moment.

"At the larger post offices across the country you would see lines of cars and almost a carnival atmosphere as people would be kind of making a statement on their own and waiting till the last minute to file their taxes," Smeraldi said.

The US Postal Service is cutting back in general; because of budget problems it is looking to close 3,700 locations. But that's not the reason for cutting back on the offices open late for mailing taxes, Smeraldi said.

Just in case you need to drop your tax return in the mail, here are some of the local post offices open late tonight in the San Francisco Bay Area:

• At San Francisco International Airport, the post office on West Field Road will be postmarking today's mail until midnight, as usual, with retail service. Other locations are allowing tax payers to hand their tax forms, with postage affixed, at the curb.
• Oakland's main post office on 7th Street will extend its hours today; both close at 10 p.m. Other locations are offering curbside drop off.
• San Jose's main post office on Lundy Avenue is also extending its hours until 10 p.m., with other offices offering curbside dropoff.
• In Petaluma, the processing center on North McDowell Boulevard is open until 6 p.m., with curbside dropoff until 8 p.m.

To check the standard hours and addresses of post offices near you, enter your zip code in the postal service locator.