The Internal Revenue Service has announced special relief for taxpayers in the Presidential Disaster Areas struck by Hurricane Katrina. These taxpayers generally will have until October 31, 2005, to file tax returns and submit tax payments. The IRS will abate interest and any late filing or late payment penalties that would otherwise apply. This relief includes the September 15 due date for estimated taxes and for calendar-year corporate returns with automatic extensions.

The disaster areas designated for individual relief include:

• 31 Louisiana parishes: Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Calcasieu, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Pointe Coupee, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Washington, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana
  
  
• 15 Mississippi counties: Amite, Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Lamar, Marion, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Stone, Walthall, and Wilkinson
  
  
• 3 Alabama counties: Baldwin, Mobile and Washington.

Among the tax relief details are the following:

• The Federal Tax Deposit (FTD) Penalty Waiver Period for employment and excise tax deposits is August 29 - September 23, 2005.
  
  
• The Extension Period for returns and other tax payments is August 29 - October 31, 2005.
  
  
• The Disaster Designation for this area is "Hurricane Katrina" — taxpayers mark certain relief-related forms with this designation in red.

The IRS is also providing a special toll-free telephone number (1-866-562-5227) for use by taxpayers affected by Hurricane Katrina, available Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm local time.

Callers to this dedicated telephone line can find out about available tax relief, get free copies of their tax return transcripts and receive Disaster Tax Loss Kits. Callers may also be referred to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's assistance lines for additional help.

Affected taxpayers who need copies of tax returns to apply for aid or other purposes can have the normal user fee waived by writing "Hurricane Katrina" in red across the top margin of their Form 4506, Request for Copy of Tax Return.

In separate announcement, the Department of Labor has announced a National Emergency Grant of $4 million, with an initial release of $1.3 million, to provide approximately 350 temporary jobs to dislocated workers to help in recovery and clean-up efforts as a result of damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. The Labor Department grant, given to the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, will be used for demolition, renovation and reconstruction of destroyed public structures, facilities and lands in coordination with other agencies providing services to affected communities.

Also, the Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA), has offered the full resources of the agency to help protect the safety and health of workers responding in the wake of the hurricane along the Gulf Coast.

...back to 1 September 2005

Further Information:
IRS Grants Tax Relief for Hurricane Katrina Victims
Tax Relief: Presidentially Declared Disaster Areas
IRS Creates Disaster Relief Toll-Free Number
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao Announces $4 Million to Aid Alabama's Hurricane Katrina Recovery Efforts
OSHA Offers Assistance for Hurricane Katrina Cleanup and Recovery Workers

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