Avoid Penalties by Understanding Postmarks
Property tax payments must be received by our office or be postmarked by the United States Postal Service (USPS) by the delinquency date to avoid penalties. This USPS postmark date is legally recognized as the date of your payment. Under State law, a mailed payment is deemed delinquent if it does not bear a timely official USPS postmark and penalties will be imposed. Please be aware that the USPS may not postmark mail on the same day it is deposited by a taxpayer.
USPS postmarks are imprints the USPS applies to letters, flats, and parcels to reflect the processing date, city, state, and zip code of the USPS post office or processing facility. The postmark is generally applied, either by machine or by hand and is primarily used to prevent postage from being re-used. Taxpayers who send their payments by mail are cautioned that the USPS only postmarks certain mail depending on the type of postage used. To ensure your payment is processed timely, we recommend mailing your payment early, obtaining a hand-stamped postmark at the USPS counter, or paying online.
Mail that is USPS postmarked:
STANDARD POSTAGE STAMPS – The USPS imprints the date the piece of mail was accepted into custody and cancels the postage to indicate it cannot be used. Not all mail processed by the Post Office is postmarked, to ensure your postage receives this stamp you must present the letter at the post office counter.
NOTE: The postage rate used in this example was the postage rate in effect at the time this item was mailed and may differ from the current rate. You should consult with the USPS for current postage rates.
Mail that is not USPS postmarked:
METERED MAIL: Mail on which postage is printed directly on an envelope or label by a postage machine licensed by the USPS. Many private companies use these types of postage machines.
PRE-CANCELED STAMPS: Stamps sold through a private vendor, such as stamps.com®.
AUTOMATED POSTAL CENTER (APC) STAMPS: Stamps, with or without a date, purchased from machines located within a USPS lobby.
PERMIT IMPRINT: Pre-sorted mail used by bill pay services, such as online home banking.
If you use these types of postage, the USPS will not postmark your mail. We will impose a 10 percent penalty and a $10 cost, if applicable, if we do not receive your mailed payment by the delinquency date.
NOTE: The postage rate used in this example was the postage rate in effect at the time this item was mailed and may differ from the current rate. You should consult with the USPS for current postage rates.
SAFER OPTIONS:
PAY ONLINE:
Make a payment now at SJC TTC.
No need to worry about mail delays or post office closures.
No need to write a check, look for stamps, or travel to a mailbox.
OBTAIN A HAND-STAMP POSTMARK:
Walk into the USPS post office and see your payment be postmarked.
No need to worry about when your mailed payment is processed by USPS.
POSTAGE VALIDATED IMPRINT (PVI): Purchase a POSTAGE VALIDATED IMPRINT (PVI) Label from a USPS retail counter or window. The PVI is applied to a piece of mail by personnel at the retail counter or window when postage has been paid to mail that item. The item is retained in USPS custody and is not handed back to the customer. The date printed on the PVI label is the date of mailing.
