The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that all victims of Hurricane Irma throughout Georgia will have until January 31st, 2018 to file specific business and individual tax returns as well as making particular tax payments. Having already granted the same tax relief to Irma victims in Florida and in many affected areas in both the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico as well as victims of hurricane Harvey throughout areas of Texas, this announcement brings relief to many throughout Georgia.
This tax relief means that all deadlines for filing tax and payment that started on September 7th, 2017 will be pushed back until January 31st, 2018. Any returns and payments originally due throughout this period, including both the September 15th, 2017 and January 16th, 2018 deadlines will be pushed back. Individual tax returns that are on extension and any businesses with extensions that expired on September 15th, 2017 are also included in this, along with organizations that aren’t required to pay tax that were on extension. Any extensions that are an extension of the time to pay are still part of the April 18th, 2017 due date and are therefore not part of this tax relief.
Any penalties that have been applied on late-deposits to do with federal payroll are also relinquished along with any excise deposits that would usually have been due with in the 15 days time of the disaster period.
The IRS has automatically provided all filing and penalty relief to any with evidence of living within Georgia and as such tax payers within the area do not need to contact the IRS about receiving this tax relief. If anybody living in the disaster area does receive a late filing or late payment penalty notice then contacting the IRS should get the matter resolved.
For any taxpayers living outside of the affected area but with records located within the area, the IRS will provide full support throughout this period. Any taxpayer who qualifies for this tax relief that is living outside of the affected area should make direct contact to the IRS at 1-866-562-5227.
This relief includes workers helping with relief activities that are connected to recognized charitable or government organizations and tax professionals who are unable to make payment by deadline or file tax for their clients.
Any individuals or businesses who have suffered uninsured or un-reimbursed losses related to hurricane Irma are able to claim either on the return for the year loss occurred (2017) or on the return for the prior year (2016).
For further information on available tax relief go to the disaster relief page at IRS.gov. If you wish to find further information on government activity related to Hurricane Irma then head to www.USA.gov/hurricane-irma.