IRS Announces Tax Relief for Hurricane Debby Victims in South Carolina, Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that tax relief is now available to individuals and businesses affected by Hurricane Debby in South Carolina, Florida, North Carolina and Georgia. The relief includes postponement of various tax filings and payment deadlines until February 3, 2025.

Areas Affected

The IRS provides assistance in any location designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Currently, this includes:

• South Carolina: All 46 states.
• In Florida: 61 counties, including larger areas such as Miami-Dade, Hillsborough, and Orange.
• Georgia: 55 counties, including Fulton, Gwinnett, and Chatham.
• North Carolina: 66 counties, including Wake, Mecklenburg, and Guilford.

Additional states may be added as damage assessments continue, and a current list of eligible states can be found on the IRS’s “Tax Assistance in Disaster Situations” page on IRS.gov.

Extended Deadlines

Help postpones the tax filing deadline and different payment dates from the beginning:

• August 1, 2024: Florida.
• August 4, 2024: Georgia and South Carolina.
• August 5, 2024: North Carolina.

The February 3, 2025 deadline applies to:

• Individuals, businesses, or tax-exempt organizations with a valid extension to file their 2023 corporate return.
• Quarterly estimated tax payments are due on September 16, 2024, and January 15, 2025.
• Quarterly payments and excise tax returns due on October 31, 2024, and January 31, 2025.

Penalties and Additional Relief

In Florida, penalties for failure to make tax payments and deposits due between August 1 and August 16, 2024, will be reduced if deposits are made by August 16, 2024. Similar exemptions are provided in South Carolina and Georgia (deposit due August 4 and August 19, 2024) and North Carolina (deposits must be between August 5 and August 20, 2024).

The IRS provides automatic filing and penalty relief to taxpayers with an IRS address of record in the jurisdiction. Those who do not have an address of record in the affected area but are affected by the disaster should contact the IRS for assistance.

Taxpayers in federally declared disaster areas who suffered disaster losses or were not reimbursed can choose to claim it on a 2024 return (filed next year) or a 2023 return (filed this year). The IRS also provides additional disaster relief options, including special provisions for retirement plan distributions.

For more information about disaster recovery and additional tax assistance options, visit DisasterAssistance.gov or the official IRS website.