Flood victims have until June 23 to file tax returns

Washington, D.C. — The deadline for filing income tax returns in Orange County has been extended to June 23. The Internal Revenue Service extended the deadline in three New York counties that suffered extensive flooding as a result of the April 16 Nor’easter. Orange, Rockland, and Westchester were declared disaster areas by the president. The IRS initially extended the deadline from April 15 to April 26. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton asked IRS commissioner Mark Everson to grant an extension of at least two weeks, to May 1, to enable affected residents to assess their damages and losses without fear of missing the deadline. The new deadline applies to the filing of returns, the payment of taxes, and other time-sensitive acts falling between April 14 and June 23. In addition, the IRS will waive the failure to deposit penalties for employment and excise deposits due on or after April 14, and on or before April 30, as long as the deposits were made by April 30. Any taxpayer who receives a penalty notice from the IRS should call the number on the notice to have the IRS abate any interest and any late filing or late payment penalties that would otherwise apply from April 14 to June 23 (or April 14 to 30 for failure to deposit penalties). No penalty or interest will be abated for taxpayers without a filing, payment, or deposit due date — including an extended filing or payment due date — during this period. To contact the IRS, call 800-829-1040 or visit www.irs.gov.