Costly Postmark Mistakes
Understanding USPS Postage & Postmarks
Property tax payments must be received by the Treasurer-Tax Collector's Office or United States Postal Service (USPS) postmarked by the delinquent date to avoid penalties.
Postmarks are imprints on letters, flats, and parcels that show the name of the USPS office that accepted the mail, along with the state, the zip code, and the date of mailing. The postmark is put on your envelope either by machine or by hand with cancellation bars to indicate that the postage cannot be reused.
The postmark date is used to determine if the payment was mailed on or before the tax deadline.
If you are waiting until just before the delinquent date to mail your payment, we recommend that you personally witness the postmark being placed on your envelope. If a payment is received after the delinquent date with a late or missing postmark, the payment is considered late, and penalties will be added to your bill.
The USPS only postmarks certain mail depending on the type of postage, and they may not postmark mail the same day you delivered it.
If we receive a payment without a USPS postmark, we will consider it received on the date it physically comes into our office.
Examples of Postmarks
Standard Postage Stamps can come in a variety of styles. Stamped envelopes are generally canceled at the main USPS processing center on the day that they are delivered from the post offices they originated from.
Standard postage stamps
Postage Validated Imprint (PVI) is postage that is printed and affixed at the post office by the postal clerk at the service window and not returned to the customer. This stamp has the date and time of the acceptance already printed so it does not need to be cancelled at the processing center.
Examples of Mail That Is Not Postmarked
Metered mail has a meter stamp applied to it. Metered
mail allows the user to manually adjust the date. This mail is not
canceled at the USPS processing center.
Pre-canceled stamps are stamps that do not need to be cancelled by the machine at the processing center. These are stamps bought by bulk mailers who receive a discount for mass mailings.
Automated Postal Center (APC) stamps can be purchased at self-service kiosks, which are located in Post Office lobbies and have 24 hour a day access. All APC stamps and shipping labels are printed and dispensed at these kiosks. APC stamps can be mailed at any time, so the date does not necessarily reflect the date they were actually mailed.
Permit imprint is postage that is paid for at the time of mailing through a USPS bulk mail acceptance facility. This mail is not postmarked and the permit holder is charged per piece and per weight.
CAUTION: Online bill payments made through online banking systems are often sent by bulk mail using a permit imprint and do not include a postmark. These payments can take 5 or more business days to reach our office. Please schedule accordingly.
Independent mail delivery (FedEx, UPS, etc.) is not postmarked. The shipping date is used to determine the date mailed.
NOTE: A Certificate of Mailing is not a form of postage and does not provide sufficient proof that a property tax payment was mailed. A Certificate of Mailing provides evidence of mailing only and is not otherwise associated with the specific item mailed. These are additional services that are purchased at the time of mailing.
