Don't Mess With Taxes

While most of us dealt with our 2020 taxes this past Monday, May 17, taxpayers in six states have several more weeks, and in some cases, months to file their returns.

The same is true for state filings due in those states with new federal filing deadlines.

Plus, a couple of states acted independently of the Internal Revenue Service to give their residents more time to deal with state and local filings.

Here's a quick look at this year's remaining tax calendars when it comes to dealing with 2020 returns.

6 states get federal disaster filing delays: Six states endured disastrous weather earlier this year. That's not just my assessment as a lifelong weather watcher and worrier.

Uncle Sam agrees with me. Major, presidentially-declared disasters mean that residents not only get help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). They also were given some tax leeway by the Internal Revenue Service.

In order of Mother Nature's outbursts and follow-up IRS delayed deadline decisions, they are:

• Texas, where the historic winter weather shutdown the Lone Star State in mid-February. I and all my fellow Lone Star Staters now have until June 15 to file our 2020 tax year federal returns. Yes, Texans in all of the state's 254 counties are included here. State officials also have pushed various tax requirements, such as the business franchise tax normally due each May 15, to the mid-June date.
• Oklahoma, where Sooners saw the ice and snow and prolonged freezing temperatures coming in February, also have until June 15 to file federal tax returns. The IRS subsequently extended the relief to all of Oklahoma's 77 counties.
• Louisiana also took a hit from the winter storm and residents in all of the Pelican States 64 parishes also have until June 15 to file and pay federal returns and taxes.
• Kentucky residents in 40 counties (yes, more were added to the original IRS announcement as FEMA continued and updated its disaster area investigations) struck by late-February's severe storms and flooding in now have until June 30 to file their federal tax returns and pay any associated taxes.
• Alabama residents in eight counties hard hit by tornadoes, straight-line wind and other severe weather in late March now have until Aug. 2 to file and pay federal returns and taxes.
• Tennessee residents in 23 counties damaged by the late-March/early-April outbreaks of tornadoes and flooding now have until Aug. 2 to file and pay federal returns and taxes.

State due dates also extended: As noted in the opening item about my native Texas' disaster relief, the state tax departments of all these disaster-affected jurisdictions also have provided extended tax considerations to their residents that aligns with the IRS' decisions. Below are links to those announcements:

No storms, just added time: A couple of states already had decided their taxpayers deserved more time that the IRS allowed to deal with state and local taxes.

Iowa extended the filing and payment deadline for 2020 individual income tax returns as well as first quarter estimated income tax payments for individuals from its normal April 30 due date to June 1.

Maryland extended the time for its residents to file and pay 2020 taxes until July 15. This applies to individual, pass-through, fiduciary, and corporate income taxes with due dates between Jan. 1 and the mid-July deadline. And yes, that covers the Old Line State's 2021 first and second quarter estimated tax payments.

Take advantage of more tax time: To all these taxpayers dealing with new tax deadlines in 2021, mark your calendars. Tax due dates, both federal and state, have an annoying way of sneaking up on you. Now that you have more time to get your taxes filed, use it.

And if your added time is due to major disaster damage, use some of your Tax Day reprieve to examine just how the tax code can help with your storm recovery. You want to make sure you get the most relief you can. That could mean claiming your recent disaster damages on the 2020 return that you now can file later.

In any and all cases, make sure you file your returns on time, correctly and with all the tax breaks to which you're entitled.

You also might find these items of interest:

• Disaster season 2021 is here. Get ready!
• A pre-disaster inventory can pay off when filing insurance or tax claims
• IRS and other government resources can help you deal with a natural disaster

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