Floods suck, but at least there is a little bit of silver lining: the IRS extended filing deadlines to November 2nd. It applies to all types of tax returns: personal tax returns due October 15, as well as corporate and partnership returns due September 15.
So yes, all of us procrastinators can breathe a little easier, but only a little. November 2nd is still very close, and if you plan to wait until Halloween – you will be on your own. All good accountants will be swamped. In our firm, Monday October 12th will be the cutoff deadline.
Where can I get more details?
The IRS has an official announcement, but of course it is predictably cryptic, so read at your own risk.
Here is the list of Texas counties declared Federal disaster area by the President and eligible for the IRS deadline extension – as long as you reside or have a business in one of those counties:
Angelina, Bastrop, Blanco, Bowie, Brazoria, Caldwell, Cherokee, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Eastland, Ellis, Erath, Fort Bend, Fannin, Fayette, Frio, Gaines, Grayson, Guadalupe, Harris, Harrison, Hays, Henderson, Hidalgo, Hood, Jim Wells, Johnson, Liberty, Madison, Milam, Montague, Montgomery, Navarro, Nueces, Red River, Rusk, Shelby, Smith, Travis, Trinity, Van Zandt, Walker, Wharton, Wichita, Williamson, and Wise counties.
Out of 9 counties comprising the Greater Houston area, 5 are included, however the other 4 are not:
Austin, Chambers, Galveston, Waller counties are excluded.
What specific deadlines are extended?
General rule: if the deadline was between May 5, 2015 and November 2, 2015 – it is probably extended to November 2, 2015.
For example,
- June 15 & September 15 – quarterly estimated payments to the IRS
- October 15 – contributions to SEP-IRA retirement accounts
- July 31 – filing business payroll report (Form 941)
- etc.
How do I apply?
You should not need to. The IRS system is supposed to identify eligible taxpayers automatically by ZIP coode. If the system slips, and you end up charged interest and penalties – you will need to call the IRS and request a waiver.