Federal Tax Deadlines Extended To October Due To Recent Statewide Storms

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced on Friday that 2022 federal income and business tax returns, as well as tax payments, would have their filing dates extended to October 16th in 44 Counties due to the storms and subsequent damage that affected most of California last month.

Last month, federal filings were only extended by one month from April 18th to May 15th due to the storms and damage. The state of California followed suit, with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) also delaying the state tax deadline for affected counties. However, as many asked for longer deadlines due to recovery issues and needing help on filing due to lost documents and business and home destruction, As such, the IRS extended the deadline into the fall to accommodate everyone.

All counties covered by the federal emergency declaration will receive the extension, including Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Inyo, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Diego, San Francisco, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, and Yolo counties  for individuals and households that reside there or have a business there.

According to the IRS, the extended deadline also goes beyond normal tax filings, but also covers tax payments, farm taxes, and payroll and excise tax returns. The statement made by the IRS on Tuesday explained that “The additional relief postpones until Oct. 16, various tax filing and payment deadlines, including those for most calendar-year 2022 individual and business returns. This includes: Individual income tax returns, originally due on April 18; Various business returns, normally due on March 15 and April 18; and returns of tax-exempt organizations, normally due on May 15.

“Among other things, this means that eligible taxpayers will also have until Oct. 16 to make 2022 contributions to their IRAs and health savings accounts. In addition, farmers who choose to forgo making estimated tax payments and normally file their returns by March 1 will now have until Oct. 16, 2023, to file their 2022 return and pay any tax due.

“The Oct. 16 deadline also applies to the estimated tax payment for the fourth quarter of 2022, originally due on Jan. 17, 2023. This means that taxpayers can skip making this payment and instead include it with the 2022 return they file, on or before Oct. 16. The Oct. 16 deadline also applies to 2023 estimated tax payments, normally due on April 18, June 15 and Sept. 15. It also applies to the quarterly payroll and excise tax returns normally due on Jan. 31, April 30 and July 31.”

The IRS also noted that taxpayers who live outside the listed counties but were still affected by the storms enough to warrant an extension could also be covered, but would need to contact the IRS to work it out.

“It’s not that often that you see an extension of this magnitude covering tens of millions of people,” said accountant and tax filing professional Curt Atwood told the Globe on Friday. “Extensions are common of course, but for nearly an entire state as large as California? It’s rare.”

“For anyone affected who wants to take advantage of this, you are free to do so. As any tax expert would tell you, it’s still better to get them done early. Especially if you live in one of those counties and weren’t affected. Get them done now, get your refund check, get it over with, you know? But if you need it, pay attention to those dates as well as any other IRS announcements. The IRS and other tax collection entities will always work with people who need extra time, especially in the wake of a disaster. Like this latest extension. So many people needed it that the IRS gave people another five month.”

“Just don’t forget about them!”

Other changes to state and federal taxes may be added in the near future due to further storm damage issues.