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IRS Offers Tax Relief to Victims of Hurricanes in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands by Karen A. Lake, CPA

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Posted on September 12, 2017 by Karen Lake

Taxpayers who were affected by Hurricane Irma and who live in federally declared disaster areas of Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands will receive automatic tax filing and payment relief from the IRS. The relief program is the same as granted to victims of Hurricane Harvey.

 

Filing Extensions

 

Under the IRS’s Hurricane Relief programs, eligible taxpayers will have until Jan. 31, 2018, to pay their quarterly estimated tax payments that are typically due on September 15 and January 16. In addition, victims who received an extension to file their individual income tax returns on Oct. 16, 2017, will now have until the end of January 2018 to make their 2016 filings. However, any tax payments related to an individual’s 2016 returns should have already been paid to the IRS.

 

Businesses located in the storm’s path will also receive a three-month extension to file their quarterly payroll and excise tax returns by Jan. 31, 2018. In addition, the IRS will waive penalties on payroll and excise tax deposits due on or after Aug. 23, 2017, and before Sept. 7, 2017, as long as businesses made the deposits by Sept. 7, 2017. Should an affected business receive a late filing or late payment penalty notice from the IRS during the postponement period, it should contact its tax accountant or call the telephone number on the notice to abate the penalty.

 

Taxpayers eligible Hurricane Irma relief include those who live or own businesses in all Florida counties. Relief is also extended to taxpayers located on the islands of St. John and St. Thomas and in Puerto Rico’s municipalities of Culebra, Vieques, Canóvanas and Loíza.

 

For victims of Hurricane Harvey, the IRS’s tax relief program applies to those individuals and businesses located in the following counties: Aransas, Austin, Batrop, Bee, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, DeWitt, Fayette, Fort Bend, Galveston, Goliad, Gonzales, Hardin, Harris, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Karnes, Kleberg, Lavaca, Lee, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Newton, Nueces, Orange, Polk, Refugio, Sabine, San Jacinto, San Patricio, Tyler, Victoria, Walker, Waller and Wharton.

 

Additional counties may be added in the future as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continues its assessment of storm damages.

 

Taxpayers Located outside the Disaster Area

 

The IRS may provide tax filing and penalty relief to certain taxpayers who are outside of the designated disaster areas. This can include businesses whose records are located in the covered areas and/or workers affiliated with qualifying organizations that are assisting with relief efforts. Qualifying taxpayers should contact their tax accountants or call the IRS directly to confirm their eligibility.

 

Claiming Casualty Losses

 

Victims of Hurricane Irma or any federally declared disaster area may be able to deduct certain property damages on their federal tax returns in the year the loss occurred or they may apply the loss to the previous year. The amount of casualty losses a taxpayer may claim is reduced by the amount of reimbursement they receive or expect to receive from their property insurance carrier and other potential amounts. Therefore, it is critical that victims file timely claims for property losses with their insurance carriers before claiming casualty losses on their federal income tax returns.

 

Calculating Casualty Losses

 

The IRS offers tips to help taxpayers calculate casualty losses based upon cost basis of the property, the current market value (FMV) of the property, insurance reimbursements and the use of the property. However, it is of great value for taxpayers to consult with their tax advisors to confirm or refute loss estimates made by insurance adjusters and substantiating lost business profits in order to defend their claims and recover damages.

 

Additional Financial Assistance for Storm Victims

 

In addition to providing storm victims with income and payroll tax relief, the IRS is also making it easier for affected taxpayers to receive loans and hardship distributions from their employer-sponsored retirement savings plans. The agency is treating Hurricane Irma as an “unforeseeable emergency” and lifting the rules for sponsors of 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) plans to make loans and hardship distributions to plan participants. Taxpayers should remember, however, that any hardship distribution that does not include already-taxed amounts will be includible in gross income. The distribution will also be subject to an additional 10 percent tax if the employee is under the age of 59 ½. Hardship loans, which are typically limited to $50,000 or half of a vested balance, will not be taxed as long as the employee pays the money back to the plan according to a repayment schedule.

 

About the Author: Karen A. Lake, CPA, is SALT specialist and an associate director of Tax Services with Berkowitz Pollack Brant, where to helps individuals and businesses navigate complex federal, state and local tax laws, and credits and incentives. She can be reached at the firm’s Miami office at (305) 379-7000 or via email at info@bpbcpa.com.