Update: Tax breaks for victims of natural disasters

If 2024 turns out to be similar to 2023, there will be a continuous string of natural weather disasters that will impact many parts of the United States and its territories. As a result, the IRS issues periodic updates all tax and accounting professionals ought to know about in order to advise their clients on changes in IRS filing dates and more. This article will updated periodically as more update are available, and you can refer to this article for previous updates through February 2024.

Update 6/27/24: The IRS announced tax relief for individuals and businesses in Mississippi that were affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding that began on April 8, 2024. These taxpayers now have until Nov. 1, 2024, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments. Individuals and households that reside or have a business in Hancock, Hinds, Humphreys, Madison, Neshoba, and Scott counties qualify for tax relief. 

Update 6/10/24: The IRS announced tax relief for individuals and businesses in parts of West Virginia affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, flooding, landslides and mudslides that began on April 2, 2024. These taxpayers now have until Nov. 1, 2024, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make payments. Currently, individuals and households that reside or have a business in Boone, Brooke, Cabell, Fayette, Hancock, Kanawha, Lincoln, Marshall, Nicholas, Ohio, Preston, Putnam, Tyler, Wayne, and Wetzel counties qualify for tax relief.

Update 6/10/24: The IRS announced tax relief for individuals and businesses in parts of Kentucky affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, landslides and mudslides that began on April 2, 2024. These taxpayers now have until Nov. 1, 2024, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make payments. Currently, individuals and households that reside or have a business in Boyd, Carter, Fayette, Greenup, Henry, Jefferson, Jessamine, Mason, Oldham, Union, and Whitley counties qualify for tax relief.

Update 5/31/24: Individuals and businesses in parts of Massachusetts affected by severe storms and flooding that began on Sept. 11, 2023 have until July 31, 2024, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make payments. Currently, individuals and households that reside or have a business in Bristol and Worcester counties qualify for tax relief. The same relief will be available to any other counties added later to the disaster area. The current list of eligible localities is always available on the Tax relief in disaster situations page on IRS.gov.

Update 4/5/24: Individuals and businesses in parts of Rhode Island that were affected by severe storms and flooding that began on Dec. 17, 2023, and Jan. 9, 2024, now have until July 15, 2024, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments. Currently, individuals and households that reside or have a business in Kent, Providence, and Washington counties qualify for tax relief. The same relief will be available to any counties added later to the disaster areas.

Individuals and businesses in parts of Maine who were affected by severe storms and flooding that began on Jan. 9, 2024, now have until July 15, 2024, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make payments. Currently, individuals and households that reside or have a business in Cumberland, Hancock, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Waldo, Washington, and York counties qualify for tax relief.

Update 4/3/24: Individuals and businesses affected by the terrorist attacks in the State of Israel have until Oct. 7, 2024, to file various federal returns, make tax payments and perform other time-sensitive tax-related actions. In Notice 2023-71, posted Oct. 13, 2023, the IRS provided relief to taxpayers who, due to the terrorist attacks, may be unable to meet a tax-filing or tax-payment obligation, or may be unable to perform other time-sensitive tax-related actions.

The IRS further postponed until Aug. 7, 2024, various tax-filing and tax-payment deadlines for individuals and businesses affected by the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires in Hawaii. Previously, the deadline was Feb. 15, 2024. In general, this means that affected individuals, businesses, and tax-exempt organizations will now have until Aug. 7, 2024, to file their 2023 returns and pay any taxes due. This is in addition to the expansive relief, announced last August, shortly after the wildfires occurred. The IRS is offering relief to Maui and Hawaii counties, the two areas designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Individuals and households that reside or have a business in these localities qualify for tax relief. The current list of eligible localities is always available on the Tax relief in disaster situations page on IRS.gov.

The IRS also announced tax relief for individuals and businesses in the Wrangell Cooperative Association of Alaska Tribal Nation that were affected by severe storms, landslides and mudslides that began on Nov. 20, 2023. These taxpayers now have until July 15, 2024, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments. Individuals and households that reside or have a business in the Wrangell Cooperative Association of Alaska Tribal Nation qualify for tax relief. The same relief will be available to any other Alaska localities added later to the disaster area.