Don't Mess With Taxes

Hurricane Ian nearing South Carolina landfall. (NOAA GOES image)

As expected, the Internal Revenue Service has provided tax relief, including a new filing deadline, for residents of North and South Carolina following Hurricane Ian.

After pummeling Florida, the deadly hurricane entered the Atlantic Ocean and then turned toward the East Coast. Ian made a second U.S. landfall on Sept. 30 as a Category 1 hurricane near Georgetown, South Carolina, then moved inland as a weaker, but still dangerous storm.

Residents anywhere in either of the Carolinas, both of which sustained deleterious Ian effects, now have until Feb. 15, 2023, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments. The tax relief is similar to that granted Ian victims in Florida.

Original due date changes: Although Ian's arrival in North and South Carolina was later than in the Sunshine State, the tax matters for the Carolinas include periods during the hurricane's earlier formation.

For South Carolina taxpayers, the relevant filing and payment deadlines that now have a later due date occurred starting on Sept. 25. For North Carolinians, the starting date of the tax relief is Sept. 28.

For both states' taxpayers, the most pressing tax matter is the looming Oct. 17 federal filing extension deadline. Palmetto State and Tar Hill State taxpayers who had a valid extension to file their 2021 returns now have until Feb. 15. Again, if taxes due were paid by the April Tax Day, the IRS will still assess penalty and interest amounts on those overdue amounts.

The Feb. 15, 2023, deadline also applies to quarterly estimated income tax payments due on Jan. 17, 2023.

Business relief, too: For companies in the two states, the February due date is in effect for the quarterly payroll and excise tax returns normally due on Oct. 31, 2022, and Jan. 31, 2023.

In addition, penalties for South Carolina payroll and excise tax deposits due on or after Sept. 25, 2022, and before Oct. 11, 2022, will be abated as long as the deposits are made by Oct. 11. For North Carolina businesses, payroll and excise tax deposits due on or after Sept. 28, 2022, and before Oct. 13, 2022, will not face penalties as long as the deposits are made by Oct. 13, 2022.

Other tax relief: Since, as the IRS noted, this tax relief for Hurricane Ian victims in North and South Carolina follows the recently announced general Florida storm tax breaks — and since I've written about them a gazillion times — I won't belabor it there.

However, I will refer you my earlier posts on how victims of major disasters might be able to get additional tax relief for uninsured losses due those devastating events.

The post on the Ian relief for Florida has more in the section titled "possible added tax filing relief." My Storm Warnings special pages also have links to posts on preparing for, recovering from, and helping those affected by natural disasters.

Among those items on the Storm Warnings recovery page is my post on what to consider when making a major disaster tax claim.

If you do claim a loss in connection with Ian, or any other major disaster, note that reason on the return. This will let the IRS know to give your filing expedited treatment. Do that by writing the name of the disaster and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declaration number on the return.

South Carolina filers should write SC Hurricane Ian in bold letters at the top of the form, and include FEMA disaster declaration number DR-3585-SC.

North Carolina filers should write NC Hurricane Ian in bold letters at the top of the form, and include FEMA disaster declaration number DR-3586-NC.

More Feb. 15, 2023, filers: Finally, the latest tropical system disasters, as well as some more landlocked recent major weather events, have made Feb. 15, 2023, a key tax date.

That new tax deadline applies to affected taxpayers in —

While we're still watching the waters for more tropical systems, natural disasters can happen any time, any place. Stay alert. Listen to and heed official warnings. Most of all, be safe.

You also might find these items of interest:

• Don't be lulled by slow 2022 hurricane season. Prepare now
• Don't fall for disaster charity scams
• Beware: Land sharks & recovery scams follow every disaster

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