The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a branch of the U.S. Treasury Department in which we are all familiar, issued a news bulletin today that described the tax relief provided Oklahomans whose lives were significantly disrupted by recent snow and winter storms. President Biden declared the State of Oklahoma a disaster area availing the leaders of our state, counties and municipalities to receive Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance for housing and other human needs. Taxpayers are entitled to relief, too!
To avail yourself to the relief granted by the IRS, you must live or have a business in the affected disaster area. All of Oklahoma’s seventy-seven counties were declared disaster areas allowing all citizens that need tax relief may receive it. The declaration permits the IRS to postpone certain tax-filing and tax-payment deadlines. For example, any business or individual tax returns, and related payments, required between February 8, 2021, and April 15, 2021, will now be due on June 15, 2021.
This relief will generally apply to most types of tax returns and payments. For example, if you are an individual or joint filer, your return would typically be due on April 15, 2021. Considering the relief granted by the IRS, your return is now due on June 15, 2021, without the filing of an extension of time to file or the payment of any tax owed. For those individuals subject to estimated tax payments, primarily self-employed or those with non-wage income, you will not be required to remit your first quarter tax payment until June 15, 2021.
One word of caution. Quarterly tax payments are due on April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 for calendar-year filers such as individuals. This would mean that your estimated tax payment due on April 15 and the second quarter tax payment due on June 15, 2021, are both due on the same day. Therefore, you are liable penalties should both payments fail to be remitted timely.
Some good news is found in the emergency relief declaration! For individuals who wish to contribute to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or Roth Individual Retirement Account (Roth IRA) they have until June 15, 2021, to make their contribution for a possible 2020 income tax deduction. This is the time to take advantage of the two-month period for reducing your taxes and contributing to your future for qualified individuals!
For those taxpayers who suffered a casualty loss caused by the disaster, the option to claim the loss on the return in the year the casualty occurred or claim on the preceding year (2020) is available. This election, which must be claimed on a timely filed return, and may help relieve the tax burden some taxpayers would otherwise have been required to pay on June 15, 2021.
Should you receive a notice of penalty for late payment of your 2020 income taxes or estimated tax payments for those filed on June 15, 2021, the IRS will provide abatement of the penalties by calling the telephone number provided on the notice. It is wise to consult with your CPA or tax preparer to determine what steps should be taken to achieve the relief sought from this declaration.
Other types of taxpayers are allowed additional time to file returns, too. For example, if the entity is a corporation, partnership, trust or exempt organization, with an original due date for the 2020 tax return between February 8 and April 15, the due date is now June 15, 2021. However, any Forms W-2 or 1099 that are due by February 28, 2021, should be filed in a timely manner or an extension of time filed with the IRS.
If your records were destroyed during the disaster, the IRS will provide, free of charge, copies of previously filed tax returns for affected taxpayers. What can be better than that?
For two consecutive years our state, and its wonderful citizens, have been subjected to significant disruption caused by natural disasters. Let us hope Mother Nature is not serving up a trifecta!