New USPS Rule Could Impact 2025 Tax Deductions for Mailed Donations

New USPS Rule Could Impact 2025 Tax Deductions for Mailed Donations. Here’s What You Need to Know

As the end of the year approaches, many donors plan their year-end charitable giving, and at St. Vincent de Paul Georgia, we are deeply grateful for every gift that helps us feed, clothe, house and heal our neighbors in need across Georgia.

But, a new rule from the United States Postal Service (USPS) may affect whether your mailed donation counts as a 2025 tax-deductible gift, even if you send it before December 31.

Here’s what you need to know to ensure your gift is counted this year:

What Changed?

As of December 24, 2025, the USPS now applies the official postmark at a regional processing center, not your local mailbox or post office. That means if you drop a donation envelope in a blue collection box, or even inside your neighborhood post office, it could be days before the envelope is officially postmarked.

And that delay matters.

Why the Postmark Matters for Charitable Giving

According to IRS rules, a charitable donation is considered made on the date it is mailed, but only if you have proof of that date.

Previously, the postmark date served as that proof. But now, since the postmark is applied later in the process, it may no longer reflect when you actually mailed your donation. If your donation is postmarked January 2, 2026, but you mailed it on December 31, 2025, it may still count for 2026, not 2025, unless you take extra steps to document the mailing date.

How to Make Sure Your Mailed Donation Counts for 2025

To protect your tax deduction and ensure your donation is counted for this year, follow these simple steps:

1. Visit your local post office in person. Don’t drop your envelope in a mailbox or use a self-service kiosk.
2. Request one of the following:

• A Postage Validation Imprint (PVI) from the USPS counter
• A manual postmark (hand-stamped by a USPS employee)
• Certified Mail or Registered Mail options that include a dated receipt. These are all considered valid ways to document the date you mailed your gift.
• Avoid these methods:
  • Mailing from a blue collection box
    Using a self-service kiosk
    Sending via UPS or FedEx (which do not qualify under IRS guidance for charitable mailing dates)

Key Deadline

All donations must be mailed, with proof of mailing, by December 31, 2025, to qualify as a 2025 tax-deductible contribution.

We recommend visiting your post office by December 30 to be safe and avoid long lines.

Planning a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)?

If you’re making a year-end gift from your IRA, the timing is even more critical. The gift is only considered made when your IRA administrator transfers the funds, so initiate the gift no later than mid-December to ensure they’re completed on time.

Prefer to donate online?

The easiest way to ensure your gift is received and counted for 2025 is to donate securely online at svdpgeorgia.org/donate.
All online gifts completed by 11:59 p.m. on December 31 will count toward your 2025 taxes.