For taxpayers impacted by a disaster, the tax code may provide necessary relief. The law permits the IRS to grant taxpayers affected by a Presidentially declared disaster additional time to perform certain time sensitive acts, including filing returns and paying taxes when the original or extended due date of the return falls within the disaster period. In addition, affected individual and business taxpayers in a Presidentially declared disaster area can more quickly obtain a refund by claiming losses related to the disaster on the tax return for the previous year, usually by filing an amended return. For more information on how to calculate and claim a disaster loss please refer to Publication 547, Casualties, Disasters and Thefts, and Publication 4492, Information for Taxpayers Affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. You may also refer to Disaster Assistance and Emergency Relief for Individuals and Businesses on the irs.gov web site.