Disaster Victims May Be Eligible For Tax Relief 

Release Date: July 29, 2003
Release Number: 1477-06

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Tucson, AZ -- If you have suffered financial losses during the recent Aspen Fire for which you are not being reimbursed, you may be eligible for a tax refund from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) right now. For the special disaster tax deduction to be claimed, the loss must have occurred in the declared disaster area, which is Pima County.

Following a presidential disaster declaration, casualty losses may be claimed as having occurred in either the current tax year or the previous tax year, whichever provides the best tax results for you. The amount of loss can be credited to your IRS account or claimed as a refund.

Further information on assistance from the IRS can be obtained from Disaster Losses Kit for Individuals - Help From the IRS (Publication 2194) and Disaster Losses Kit for Business - Help From the IRS (Publication 2194B). Publications are available from the IRS Tucson Office, 300 W. Congress, and from www.irs.gov. Representatives from the Tucson Office are available at 520-670-4687.

If you have been affected by the recent federally declared disaster, you may receive copies or transcripts of previously filed tax returns free of charge by submitting Form 4506, Request for Copy or Transcript of Tax Form. Form 4506 is contained within both versions of the Disaster Losses Kit - Help From the IRS. Clearly identify requests as disaster-related.

If the IRS has recently contacted you about taxes you owe but, because of the emergency, you need more time to pay, please let the IRS know. To get help, call your tax preparer or the IRS at the Tucson Office or 1-800-TAX-1040.

The Aspen Fire disaster recovery is a joint effort of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Arizona Division of Emergency Management and Pima County.

On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 29-Jul-2003 16:27:30