IRS Extends Tax Filing and Payment Deadlines for Natural Disaster Victims

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently extended tax filing and payment deadlines for victims of Hurricane Ida, the California wildfires, and the severe storms and flooding in Tennessee.

Hurricane Ida

The IRS extended the deadline to January 3, 2022, for victims of Hurricane Ida to file various individual and business tax returns and make tax payments that were originally due beginning August 26, 2021 (in the case of Louisiana taxpayers), or September 1, 2021 (in the case of eligible New Jersey and New York taxpayers).

The relief applies to any area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as qualifying for individual or public assistance. This currently applies to the entire state of Louisiana and to designated areas in New Jersey (Bergen, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Passaic, and Somerset counties) and New York (Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond, and Westchester counties). Taxpayers in other areas designated by FEMA will automatically receive the same filing and payment relief.

The January 3, 2022, extended deadline applies to:

• Individuals and calendar-year C corporations that extended their 2020 tax return until October 15, 2021.
• Calendar-year partnerships and S corporations that extended their 2020 tax return until September 15, 2021.
• Calendar-year tax-exempt organizations that extended their 2020 tax return until November 15, 2021.
• Calendar-year estates and trusts that extended their 2020 income tax return until September 30, 2021.
• Fiscal-year entities whose 2020 tax return has an original or extended due date of August 26, 2021 (in the case of Louisiana taxpayers), or September 1, 2021 (in the case of eligible New Jersey and New York taxpayers), or later.
• Estate tax returns with an original or extended due date of August 26, 2021 (in the case of Louisiana taxpayers), or September 1, 2021 (in the case of eligible New Jersey and New York taxpayers), or later.
• Quarterly payroll and excise tax returns due on November 1, 2021.
• Quarterly estimated income tax payments due on September 15, 2021.

In addition, penalties on payroll and excise tax deposits that are due on or after August 26, 2021 (for Louisiana taxpayers), or September 1, 2021 (for eligible New Jersey and New York taxpayers), and before September 10, 2021 (for Louisiana taxpayers), or September 16, 2021 (for eligible New Jersey and New York taxpayers), will be abated if the deposits are made by September 10, 2021 (for Louisiana taxpayers), or September 16, 2021 (for eligible New Jersey and New York taxpayers).

California Wildfires

The IRS extended the deadline to November 15, 2022, for victims of the California wildfires that began July 14, 2021, to file various individual and business tax returns and make tax payments. This relief applies to taxpayers that reside or have a business located in Lassen, Nevada, Placer, and Plumas counties.

The November 15, 2022, extended filing and payment deadline applies to:

• Individuals and calendar-year C corporations that extended their 2020 tax return until October 15, 2021.
• Calendar-year partnerships and S corporations that extended their 2020 tax return until September 15, 2021.
• Calendar-year tax-exempt organizations that extended their 2020 tax return until November 15, 2021.
• Calendar-year estates and trusts that extended their 2020 income tax return until September 30, 2021.
• Fiscal-year entities whose 2020 tax return has an original or extended due date of July 14, 2021, or later.
• Estate tax returns with an original or extended due date of July 14, 2021, or later.
• Quarterly payroll and excise tax returns due on August 2, 2021.
• Quarterly estimated income tax payments due on September 15, 2021.

In addition, penalties on payroll and excise tax deposits due on or after July 14, 2021, and before July 29, 2021, will be abated as long as the tax deposits were made by July 29, 2021.

Tennessee Severe Storms and Flooding

The IRS extended the deadline to January 3, 2022, for victims of the severe storms and flooding in Tennessee that occurred on August 21, 2021, to file various individual and business tax returns and make tax payments. The relief applies to taxpayers that reside or have a business located in Dickson, Hickman, Houston, and Humphreys counties.

The January 3, 2022, extended filing and payment deadline applies to:

• Individuals and calendar-year C corporations that extended their 2020 tax return until October 15, 2021.
• Calendar-year partnerships and S corporations that extended their 2020 tax return until September 15, 2021.
• Calendar-year tax-exempt organizations that extended their 2020 tax return until November 15, 2021.
• Calendar-year estates and trusts that extended their 2020 tax return until September 30, 2021.
• Fiscal-year entities whose 2020 tax return has an original or extended due date of August 21, 2021, or later.
• Estate tax returns with an original or extended due date of August 21, 2021, or later.
• Quarterly estimated income tax payments due on September 15, 2021.

In addition, penalties on payroll and excise tax deposits due on or after August 21, 2021, and before September 7, 2021, will be abated as long as the tax deposits were made by September 7, 2021.

How Taxpayers Obtain Filing and Penalty Relief

The filing, payment, and penalty relief discussed above applies automatically to any taxpayer with an address (in the IRS’s database) located in the subject disaster area. In addition, any taxpayer who lives outside the subject disaster area but whose records – that are necessary to meet a deadline occurring during the postponement period – are located in the subject disaster area can request the filing, payment, and penalty relief by calling the IRS at 866-562-5227.

For more information about these extensions of tax filing deadlines, contact us. We are here to help.

© 2021