IRS Extends Deadlines for Hurricane Debby-Impacted Taxpayers

A golf cart sits in flood waters on Atlantic Avenue as Tropical Storm Debby approaches Sullivan's Island, S.C., on Aug. 7, 2024. (Mic Smith/AP)

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is extending several tax due dates to February in multiple states affected by Hurricane Debby.

The storm made landfall in northwestern Florida as a Category 1 hurricane on Aug. 5 and moved out of the United States this past Saturday after unleashing floods and tornadoes. Nine deaths were reported by Aug. 10, mostly from fallen trees or vehicle accidents, while several homes were damaged.

“The tax relief postpones various tax filing and payment deadlines that occurred beginning on Aug. 1, 2024, in Florida, Aug. 4, 2024, in Georgia and South Carolina, and Aug. 5, 2024, in North Carolina,” the IRS said in an Aug. 9 press release.

“The relief period continues through Feb. 3, 2025 (postponement period), in all four states. As a result, affected individuals and businesses will have until Feb. 3, 2025, to file returns and pay any taxes that were originally due during this period.”

The relief for residents and businesses applies to all areas designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a disaster region due to the hurricane. This includes 61 counties in Florida, 55 in Georgia, 66 in North Carolina, and all 46 counties in South Carolina.

If FEMA designates other counties, people and businesses from those areas also will become eligible.

The IRS noted that it automatically provides filing and penalty relief for all taxpayers with IRS addresses in the disaster areas. These taxpayers do not need to contact the agency to request the relief.

Sometimes, taxpayers may not have an IRS address in the disaster region even though they are living there. This includes people who have recently moved in. They could receive a late filing or payment penalty notice and should call the number listed on the notice to resolve the issue, said the agency.

Taxpayers who already had extended their 2023 federal returns and live in the FEMA designated areas also qualify for the Feb. 3 filing date. However, the IRS noted that payments on these returns cannot be extended until February since they were due last spring before the hurricane.

Federal Assistance, Claiming Losses

President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration in Florida, making federal funding available to affected people from Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Manatee, Sarasota, Suwannee and Taylor counties, according to an Aug. 10 FEMA press release.

“Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster,” states the release.

People can apply for assistance through the FEMA app www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling [phone].

Applicants must submit a current phone number that can be contacted, the address where they are staying, Social Security number, a general list of losses and damages suffered, and banking information in case they need funds as a direct deposit.

“If you have homeowners, renters, or flood insurance, you should file a claim as soon as possible. FEMA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. If your policy does not cover all your disaster expenses, you may be eligible for federal assistance,” the agency states.

Moreover, taxpayers in FEMA disaster regions who suffered uninsured losses may be eligible to claim them while filing taxes.

In the case of Hurricane Debby, losses can be claimed for the 2024 tax returns to be filed next year or the 2023 returns that were originally scheduled to be filed earlier this year.

When claiming losses, the FEMA disaster declaration number must be quoted, which in the case of Hurricane Debby is 3605-EM for Florida, 3606-EM for South Carolina, 3607-EM for Georgia, and 3608-EM for North Carolina.

In addition, disaster relief payments received from the government can be excluded from gross income when filing taxes. This includes government payments for repairing homes, living expenses, or funeral costs.