IRS Grants More Extensions

[Valerie S. Johnson]

By Valerie S. Johnson

Two unusual mid-April events prompted the IRS to grant extensions to certain taxpayers for filing and paying their income taxes.

A wide category of people affected by the shootings at Virginia Tech – the victims, their families, emergency responders, university students and employees – have until October 15, 2007 to file their 2006 individual tax returns and make any associated payments. No filing or payment penalties will be assessed during this six-month period for taxpayers who qualify for this relief. To claim this extension of time, individuals should call the IRS at 1-866-562-5227.

Taxpayers in the Northeast who were directly impacted by the major storm that hit on April 16 had already been given a two-day filing extension until April 19. However, the IRS decided to extend the extension to April 26, 2007 for individuals, corporations, partnerships, and other entities. You do not have to live in a specific state or prove that the power outages or public transportation problems made it impossible to file on time. Just mark the words “April 16 Storm” if you are filing a paper return. Some electronic filing programs have a “disaster” feature.

For more information about the Northeast Storms Victims extension, see the IRS website.