diff --git a/account_import.go b/account_import.go
index 1098798..b34f3a7 100644
--- a/account_import.go
+++ b/account_import.go
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
-	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -86,7 +85,6 @@ func handleImport(app *App, u *User, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) err
 		log.Error("invalid form data for file dates: %v", err)
 		return impart.HTTPError{http.StatusBadRequest, "form data for file dates was invalid"}
 	}
-	fileTZ := r.FormValue("tz")
 	files := r.MultipartForm.File["files"]
 	var fileErrs []error
 	filesSubmitted := len(files)
@@ -149,12 +147,6 @@ func handleImport(app *App, u *User, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) err
 			post.Collection = collAlias
 		}
 		dateTime := time.Unix(fileDates[formFile.Filename], 0)
-		offset, err := strconv.Atoi(fileTZ)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Error("form time zone offset not a valid integer: %v", err)
-			continue
-		}
-		dateTime = dateTime.Add(time.Minute * time.Duration(offset))
 		post.Created = &dateTime
 		created := post.Created.Format("2006-01-02T15:04:05Z")
 		submittedPost := SubmittedPost{
diff --git a/templates/user/import.tmpl b/templates/user/import.tmpl
index 06ff8b7..803a07c 100644
--- a/templates/user/import.tmpl
+++ b/templates/user/import.tmpl
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
 				<input id="fileInput" class="fileInput" name="files" type="file" multiple accept="text/markdown, text/plain"/>
 			</label>
 			<input id="fileDates" name="fileDates" hidden/>
-			<input id="tzInput" name="tz" hidden/>
 			<label>
 				Import these posts to:
 				<select name="collection">
@@ -43,15 +42,16 @@
 				</select>
 			</label>
 			<script>
-				const tzInput = document.getElementById('tzInput');
-				tzInput.value = new Date().getTimezoneOffset();
+				// timezone offset in seconds
+				const tzOffsetSec = new Date().getTimezoneOffset() * 60;
 				const fileInput = document.getElementById('fileInput');
 				const fileDates = document.getElementById('fileDates');
 				fileInput.addEventListener('change', (e) => {
 					const files = e.target.files;
 					let dateMap = {};
 					for (let file of files) {
-						dateMap[file.name] = Math.round(file.lastModified / 1000);
+						// convert from milliseconds to seconds and adjust for tz
+						dateMap[file.name] = Math.round(file.lastModified / 1000) + tzOffsetSec;
 					}
 					fileDates.value = JSON.stringify(dateMap);
 				})