Tax Relief Granted for Hurricane Rita

Tax Relief Granted for Hurricane Rita: "Tax Relief Granted for Hurricane Rita


IR-2005-110, Sept. 26, 2005

WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service today announced relief for taxpayers affected by Hurricane Rita. The President issued major disaster declarations covering Texas and Louisiana effective Sept. 23, 2005.

Taxpayers affected by the hurricane may be eligible for relief. Deadlines for affected taxpayers to file returns, pay taxes and perform other time-sensitive acts have been postponed to Feb. 28, 2006, the same extended date that Congress granted to taxpayers affected by Hurricane Katrina.

In the hardest-hit areas - those counties designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as "individual assistance areas" - the tax relief will be automatic, and taxpayers won't need to do anything to get the extensions and other relief available.

In Texas, nine counties are in this category for individual assistance: Chambers, Galveston, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange and Tyler. In Louisiana, five parishes are in this category: Beauregard, Cameron, Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis and Vermilion.

In areas of Texas and Louisiana where FEMA has determined damage is more isolated - designated as "public assistance areas" - or for other taxpayers outside the hardest-hit areas whose books, records or tax professionals are located in the affected areas, people will need to identify themselves to the IRS as hurricane victims.

Taxpayers who need to identify themselves as hurricane victims should write "Hurricane Rita" in red ink at the top of their tax forms or any other documents filed with the IRS. Taxpayers who need to alert the IRS or have other Rita-related questions can also call the special IRS disaster hotline at 1-866-562-5227.

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