The U.S. Postal Service has changed its rules about postmarking mail. Unless a customer requests a postmark at a Postal Service retail location, postmarks are no longer applied when mail is first received; they are stamped later during sorting and processing at regional distribution centers. As a result, mail could be postmarked several days after it is dropped off in a mailbox.
W-2 and 1099 forms must be postmarked by Feb. 2; 1095-C forms must be postmarked by March 2.
To ensure timeliness, agencies should:
- Pick up printed W-2s and 1095-Cs by the deadline in the calendar year-end checklist (CAPPS level 1 support staff can access the checklist via the CAPPS Service Desk).
- Request a postmark date at the post office when mailing tax forms.
To make payment information available to the public promptly, the Comptroller’s office must be able to distinguish between confidential and nonconfidential payments. State agencies and institutions of higher education must mark confidential transactions to protect payee confidentiality, per USAS and CAPPS Financials Confidentiality Indicator (FPP E.045).
The agency or institution submitting a transaction is responsible for determining confidentiality. Transactions are legally considered public unless specifically excluded by the Public Information Act (Texas Government Code, Chapter 552).
An agency or institution that marks a transaction as confidential should be prepared to cite the law or attorney general opinion that excludes the payment from public disclosure.
