The usual rush to meet today's tax deadline will be missing for many across the United States this year, as the IRS has granted automatic deadline extensions to several states affected by natural disasters. Taxpayers in these regions are getting a break, with deadlines to file their 2024 tax returns and make payments extended until May 1—or even later in some areas.
Amid the natural calamities that have swept through states like Florida and North Carolina, offering a concrete floor beneath the feet of those looking to recover, the IRS extension applies to the entirety of five states, as reported by Local 10 News. The extended May 1 deadline includes not only 2023 returns with valid extensions but also quarterly estimated payments and a range of filings such as individual, corporate, and nonprofit returns.
Federal tax relief is being sought to patch up the financial wounds inflicted by hurricanes and other devastating weather events. In what might seem like a confusing spread of dates and extensions across the map, Today enumerates those states and areas beyond Florida—Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina while partial extensions affect Alaska, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Virginia. Specifics of the affected areas and the corresponding extended deadlines can be found on the IRS website.
Roiling beyond just hurricane damage, other states are feeling the extension's relief from tax pressures due to other types of extreme weather. California's Los Angeles County is granted a deadline stretching to October 15, 2025, for areas raked by wildfires earlier in the year. Kentucky and select counties in West Virginia face a November 3 deadline after suffering through storms that unleashed winds, flooding, and landslides with mudslides creating havoc for residents. Affected taxpayers can breathe slightly easier, having extra time to sort through the financial aftermath of nature’s fury.
For those wondering about their capacity to apply disaster-related losses, both sources indicate Floridians can choose to claim these on their 2023 or 2024 tax returns using the FEMA disaster declaration number FEMA-3622-EM. Furthermore, the IRS is also waiving fees for copies of past tax returns for storm-affected taxpayers, according to Local 10 News. They also suggest additional relief may be available for those who participate in retirement or individual retirement arrangements.
For clarity on personal eligibility and further details on the relief measures, the IRS encourages taxpayers to visit the disaster relief section on IRS.gov or call the IRS disaster hotline at 866-562-5227.
