Tax deadline extended to Oct. 16 for much of California
A U.S. Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 1040 Individual Income Tax form for the 2019 tax year is arranged for a photograph in Tiskilwa, Illinois, U.S., on Friday, March 20, 2020. (Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Gett
WASHINGTON - California residents and businesses affected by the severe winter storms now have until Oct. 16 to file their federal taxes, thanks to another extended deadline provided by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for storm-battered California.
The extension covers most people in the Bay Area and Southern California.
The IRS had previously postponed the tax deadline to May 15 for counties designated as disaster areas by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The FEMA declaration listed 41 of the 58 California counties and included all the Bay Area’s nine counties, as disaster areas hit by storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides that began on Dec. 27.
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"The declaration permits the IRS to postpone certain tax-filing and tax-payment deadlines for taxpayers who reside or have a business in the disaster area," the federal agency said, adding, "This includes 2022 individual income tax returns due on April 18, as well as various 2022 business returns normally due on March 15 and April 18, 2023."
The agency also noted that the extension would apply to 2022 contributions to eligible taxpayers’ IRAs and health savings accounts.
To take advantage of the deadline extension, taxpayers don’t need to take action, as the agency said it automatically identified those located in the disaster designated areas.
"However, if an affected taxpayer receives a late filing or late payment penalty notice from the IRS that has an original or extended filing, payment or deposit due date falling within the postponement period, the taxpayer should call the number on the notice to have the penalty abated," the IRS advised.
The California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) was also offering relief to residents and businesses affected by the storms, allowing those in FEMA designated zones to claim a deduction for a storm related loss as well as take advantage of more time to file their state taxes.
"To help alleviate some of the stress many have endured during this trying period, the FTB has extended the filing and payment deadlines for individuals and businesses in California until May 15, 2023," Governor Gavin Newsom’s office announced last month, saying, "California is working swiftly to get people back on their feet and help communities recover."
LIST OF FEMA DISASTER AREAS:
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 counties.
This story was reported from Oakland, Calif.