IRS Tax Deadline Now May 15 Due to Storm

In response to the havoc wreaked by winter storms slamming the Bay Area and California, the Internal Revenue Service is extending the deadline to May 15 to file federal tax returns and make payments.

This is almost a month after the original April 18 deadline — and is available to all business owners, households and residents in the 41 California counties listed in the federal emergency declaration approved by President Biden, the IRS said. The affected area includes Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.

Here is what you need to know:

What is the extension?

The IRS said it will provide “tax relief” to people who have been impacted by the storms as part of a coordinated effort by federal agencies. The extension applies to several deadlines for federal tax filing and payment that began as early as Jan. 8.

Individuals and businesses will have until May 15 to file federal income tax returns and make any payments. Eligible individuals can wait until May 15 to make 2022 contributions to their health savings accounts and individual retirement accounts, officials said.

The deadline extension also applies to quarterly estimated tax payments, quarterly payroll and excise tax returns normally due on Jan. 31 and April 30, and farmers who elect to forgo making estimated tax payments and normally file their returns by March 1.

Do I qualify?

Ifyou live in or have a business in one of the 41 counties listed by the IRS, you qualify for the deadline extension.

The qualifying counties listed so far are: Alameda, Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Kings, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Ventura, Yolo and Yuba.

Do I have to request the extension?

If you live in the affected area, no. The IRS will automatically provide the deadline extension to taxpayers whose address is in one of the 41 qualifying counties.

If you qualify for the May 15 extension but receive a late filing or late payment penalty notice from the IRS, the agency says you should call the number listed on the notice to have the penalty removed.

Does the extension apply to my California state tax return?

It was not immediately clear if the deadline extension applies to California state tax returns. As of Thursday afternoon, the deadline was still listed as April 18 on the California Franchise Tax Board website and no information about any extension was posted.

However, an agency spokesperson said information would soon be available on the website.

The California Franchise Tax Board “is aware of the guidance provided by the IRS … and is reviewing it,” said Catalina Martinez, a spokeswoman for the FTB. n •••

For information on the state deadline, see https://www.ftb.ca.gov/

For IRS tax tips, see https://www.irs.gov/ newsroom/irs-tax-tips