With the tax deadline quickly approaching, the United States Postal Service has again taken positive steps to ensure the availability of its services on that day by extending the hours at several of its key offices across Long Island on April 15.

According to Thomas Gaynor, spokesman for the United States Postal Service, Long Island District, there will be 12 post offices extending their hours to midnight on April 15, and two of its processing facilities will also have extended hours, but for postmarking only.

"We have several offices open to midnight throughout Long Island to assist the taxpayers in having last minute postal services to get their tax returns in the mail before that deadline," said Gaynor.

Gaynor stated that the post service is expecting a heavy volume of late tax filers on April 15 and his best advice for all filers is to get their returns completed and brought to the post office, if not before the 15th, early on that day.

The US Postal Service on Long Island first experimented with extended hours on the day of the tax deadline in 1985 at its Hicksville Office. The incredibly large response prompted the postal service in subsequent years to add other offices to meet the needs of late filers.

Despite the additional postal offices with extended hours on April 15, the Hicksville office remains a popular destination for many last-minute filers. In the past the high volume of filers has prompted the use of auxiliary police to help coordinate car traffic outside the facility. Hicksville's postmaster, Henry Johnson, said he is doing all he can to make the situation a little less hectic. According to Johnson, there will be radio stations airing their shows throughout the day from the office and there will be coffee and snacks that have been donated by local merchants.

"Naturally, we recommend people come in as early as possible but for those who either procrastinated or just could not get to it until now we will be open and will try to make it a little more bearable," said Johnson. "The way that we do it up, it becomes almost like a carnival atomosphere. For the number of people that are all basically here for the same thing we try to keep the mood nice and light."

One area that is particular to the Hicksville office is the presence of representatives from the IRS and the New York State Department of Taxation offering information and advice on all the forms needed to file.

Johnson explained that, even on the last filing day, people have many questions for these federal and state representatives. "People need them for a minor thing as not knowing about a filing category right up to people who have not even thought about filing yet and are asking what forms they need."

He continued, "We have people filling out extension forms on the table as the clock nears 12. A lot of people take advantage of the [tax representatives]. They have a line at their table all night.

According to Gaynor many of the other offices will also have coffee and snacks for last-minute filers and may actually enjoy shorter lines than are anticipated at the Hicksville location.

The Postal Service is reminding filers to make sure that they have the proper postage, especially if they have extra forms or schedules. The Internal Revenue Service will not accept returns without postage or with insufficient postage. The IRS returns all insufficient postage to the sender, who is then charged with late-payment penalties. It costs 33 cents for the first ounce and 22 cents for each additional ounce. One ounce is about four pages.

If you use a non-IRS labeled envelope, make sure you have the proper IRS address. Also, put your return address in the upper left hand corner. Don't use an office postage meter. The IRS does not accept private postmarks as proof of timely filing.

And again, mail early in the day if you can, so you can save yourself a trip to the late collection locations, thus avoiding traffic and the last minute rush.

"I think the public appreciates having it [extended hours] and we know that throughout the years we do have a large number of people that do come in after our normal 5 p.m. closing time to avail themselves of the last minute postmark and make sure they are getting it in before the deadline."

The United States Postal Service offices with extended hours on April 15 in Nassau County are located in Garden City at 600 Franklin Avenue; Roosevelt Field Postal Store (until 9:30 p.m.); Hicksville at 185 West John Street; Huntington Station at 888 East Jericho Turnpike; Massapequa at 80 Killians Road; Rockville Centre at 250 Merrick Road; Roslyn at 1391 Old Northern Blvd; and the Western Nassau Mail Processing Facility (postmark only) at 830 Stewart Avenue, Garden City.