USPS Postmark Changes Could Affect Employee Benefit Plans Employee benefit plan sponsors and administrators should be aware of changes to the United States Post Office (USPS) postmark process that could impact the timing of government filings and participant disclosures. Previously, documents sent by mail were considered timely if they were postmarked on or before the applicable due date. Under the old system, mail dropped off at the post office or placed in a public mailbox before the final pickup time would typically receive a same-day postmark. However, the USPS has announced changes to its transportation operations that may now result in mail being postmarked at an originating processing facility on a later date than when it was dropped off at a local post office or received by a mail carrier. Postmarks are generally applied by machine at USPS originating processing facilities. The recent adjustments to transportation operations could cause delays in the postmarking process, potentially leading to discrepancies between the actual mailing date and the date reflected on the postmark. To mitigate this risk, plan sponsors and administrators using US mail are advised to visit a USPS retail location and request a manual postmark at the counter. This service is free of charge. Alternatively, purchasing a certificate of mailing or using certified or registered mail services can provide proof of timely mailing. Many employee benefit plan filings to the government are now submitted electronically, including mandatory or voluntary submissions such as the Form 5500, Annual Return/Report of Employee Benefit Plan, and IRS Forms 1094-B, 1095-B, 1094-C, and 1095-C filed through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) information returns (AIR) system. Most filings to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.#irs #usps #employee_benefit_plans #form_5500 #pension_benefit_guaranty_corp
