Accessibility Skip to Top Navigation Skip to Left Navigation Skip to Main Content IRS Video Portal logo
Search:
IRS Disaster Assistance  07/19/12
The information contained in this presentation is current as of the date it was presented.
It should not be considered official IRS guidance.
TRANSCRIPT

Hi, I'm Tim, and I work for the IRS.

Disasters can strike any time, anywhere, and take many forms.

Every year millions of Americans face disasters and their terrifying consequences.

We want you to know that the IRS Disaster Assistance and Emergency Relief Program helps taxpayers and businesses recover financially after a disaster.

Depending on the circumstances, the IRS may grant additional time to file returns and pay taxes without penalty.

The IRS will grant filing and payment relief when the President declares a federal disaster and the Federal Emergency Management Agency identifies areas for its Individual Assistance Program.

These areas become the IRS Designated Disaster Area.

You can find a list of these areas on FEMA's Website at www.fema.gov.

If you live in, or your principal place of business is located in, the IRS Designated Disaster Area, you're an "affected taxpayer."

The IRS will automatically grant you any relief offered if your address of record is in this area.

Did you know you could be an affected taxpayer even if you or your business is not physically located in the IRS Designated Disaster Area?

If your records to meet a deadline for filing and paying taxes are located there, you can be granted tax relief.

To obtain tax relief, affected taxpayers not located in the IRS Designated Disaster Area must: Call the Disaster Assistance Hotline at 1-866-562-5227 and explain your situation to the assistor.

After self-identifying, telephone assistors will manually code your accounts for the relief.

The IRS issues a news release identifying the appropriate disaster designation, the area covered, the relief period, and other pertinent information each time disaster relief is granted.

These news releases are listed by state on our Website.

View this list by visiting IRS.gov and click the "Disaster Relief" link at the bottom of the home page.

IRS Publication 2194, Disaster Resource Guide, contains helpful information for taxpayers impacted by federally declared disasters.

For more disaster-related information, log on to IRS.gov and enter "Disaster" in the search box.