Effective tomorrow, Dec. 24, a new United States Postal Service’s Postmarks and Postal Possession rule clarifies how postmarks are applied, which may affect how the timing of mailed charitable gifts is determined, according to an announcement from the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines. Historically, a postmark served as proof of when a gift was mailed. The rule says that machine-applied postmarks will now be generated at regional processing centers rather than local post offices, meaning the postmark date may be applied several days after mail is dropped off and no longer accurately reflect the mailing date for charitable gifts. As a result, this could affect whether certain mailed gifts qualify for a 2025 income tax deduction. The foundation said to help ensure timely…..