Personal Finance

IRS delays tax deadlines for Irma victims

Key Points
  • Without the relief, hurricane victims who pay quarterly taxes would have faced a deadline of this Friday.
  • The later date, granted to Harvey victims as well, applies to residents of declared disaster areas.
  • People helping in relief efforts and those who rely on records located in affected locales should contact the IRS if they will struggle to file on time.

Taxpayers affected by Hurricane Irma are getting a reprieve from meeting certain filing deadlines.

The Internal Revenue Service announced today that individuals who make quarterly estimated tax payments have until Jan. 31, 2018 to make the payments that would have been due this Friday, Sept. 15, and Jan. 16, 2018.

Additionally, if you filed for an extension on your 2016 returns, the deadline for getting in your paperwork is extended to Jan. 31 instead of Oct. 16. If you owed money to the IRS, you'll still be on the hook for a late-payment penalty and interest, however, because 2016 payments were due months ago, on April 18. The delay also applies to those affected by Hurricane Harvey.

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The IRS said people affected by Irma in parts of Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are currently eligible for deadline and payment relief. As the Federal Emergency Management Agency updates its list of areas eligible for disaster assistance, taxpayers in those places also will be included in the IRS action.

If you're a taxpayer outside of the affected areas but rely on records from the area, contact the IRS and you could also receive a reprieve on upcoming deadlines, the agency said. Same goes for volunteers and paid workers who are assisting disaster relief efforts.

More Hurricane Irma coverage:

Hurricane victims need for relief is only beginning

How to navigate insurance claims, post Irma