LA-2007-25, Oct. 4, 2007

NEW ORLEANS — Taxpayers in three Louisiana parishes — Jefferson, Orleans and St. Martin — that were designated as Presidential Disaster areas due to severe storms and tornadoes Feb. 12-13, 2007 and requested the automatic six-month extension of time to file have until Oct. 24, 2007 to submit their 2006 tax returns. The request for additional time had to be filed on or before April 24, 2007.

Taxpayers within the covered disaster area were not required to self-identify by writing on their returns or using the disaster designation in their tax software. IRS computer systems now automatically identify taxpayers located in the covered disaster area and apply automatic filing and payment relief.

Taxpayers not in the covered disaster area, but whose books, records or tax professionals’ offices are in the covered disaster area, are also entitled to relief. If you are an affected taxpayer and you believe that your tax return was not identified, please call the IRS disaster hotline 1-866-562-5227 to self-identify for disaster relief.

For related information, see Tax Relief in Disaster Situations.