IRS extends tax deadline to Oct. 16 for disaster victims in California, Alabama and Georgia - What you need to know!

Guys, I just found out some super important info for those of us dealing with last year's disaster aftermath! If you're in the disaster areas in California, Alabama, or Georgia, we don't have to file or pay our 2022 taxes until October 16th this year! This is HUGE for my family since we're still sorting through flood damage paperwork. The best part? If you normally make quarterly tax payments, you can actually skip Q1, Q2, AND Q3 payments and just make one big payment in October. That's not normally even a quarterly deadline but they're making an exception. This extension covers pretty much everything: - Individual income tax returns (normally due April 18) - Business returns (normally due March 15/April 18) - Tax-exempt organization returns (normally due May 15) They're also giving us until October 16 to make 2022 contributions to IRAs and health savings accounts. Even farmers who normally file by March 1 get the extension. The October 16 deadline also applies to the Q4 2022 estimated payment (originally due January 17, 2023). You can skip making that payment separately and just include it with your return when you file by October 16. And get this - it ALSO applies to 2023 estimated tax payments that would normally be due April 18, June 15, and September 15. Same goes for quarterly payroll and excise tax returns normally due January 31, April 30, and July 31. Has anyone else in the affected areas started planning how to use this extension? Is it better to file sooner anyway if expecting a refund?

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18 comments

Lilah Brooks

•8M

Tax professional here. This extension is incredibly helpful for disaster victims, but there are some important things to consider: If you're expecting a refund, it's usually better to file as soon as you can rather than waiting until October. The extension gives you more time, but it doesn't mean you should wait if you don't need to. The IRS doesn't pay interest on most refunds, so there's no financial benefit to waiting. For those taking advantage of the quarterly payment consolidation, remember this is essentially an interest-free loan from the government due to these extraordinary circumstances. Normally, skipping quarterly payments would result in underpayment penalties. The extension also applies to 2022 IRA and HSA contributions, which is significant for retirement and healthcare planning. If you haven't maxed these out, you now have until October to do so. One thing to clarify - while the deadline is extended, if you need documentation of your tax filing for things like mortgage applications or financial aid, you may want to file earlier despite the extension.

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Lilah Brooks

•8M

Yes, you would still qualify for the extension as long as your primary residence or business was in the designated disaster area when the disaster occurred, even if you've moved since then. The IRS looks at where you were located during the disaster event, not your current location. For self-employment taxes, yes, this special relief allows you to skip your quarterly estimated payments (normally due April 18, June 15, and September 15, 2023) and instead include all of those payments when you file by October 16. Just be sure to plan accordingly since you'll need to make a larger single payment rather than spreading it out over the year.

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Kolton Murphy

•8M

I've been struggling with organizing all my tax documents after losing so much in the floods. I tried calling the IRS multiple times but couldn't get through to anyone who could help with my specific situation. Then I found this tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me sort through all my disaster-related tax questions. It analyzed my situation and helped me understand exactly which deadlines applied to me and what documentation I needed for disaster-related deductions. The tool even helped me figure out how to handle the property losses from the disaster on my tax return. I was really confused about whether to claim losses for 2022 or 2023, and it cleared everything up for me.

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Kolton Murphy

•8M

The tool works by analyzing your specific disaster zone and circumstances. You upload photos of your documents (even damaged ones), and it extracts the relevant information. Then it applies the current disaster tax relief rules to your situation. It's been very helpful for figuring out what documents I actually need versus what I can reconstruct. For casualty losses specifically, it walks you through the entire process including how to calculate your loss, which forms to use, and how to document everything properly. It even helps determine if you should claim the loss for 2022 or carry it back/forward based on your specific situation.

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Julia Hall

•8M

I want to follow up about that taxr.ai site I was skeptical about. After our county got hit hard in Georgia, I was completely overwhelmed with all the tax implications. I reluctantly tried the taxr.ai tool and was honestly surprised by how helpful it was. The system actually had specific guidance for my county's disaster declaration and helped me document all my losses properly. It even showed me how to claim casualty losses I didn't know I qualified for. The best part was that it helped me figure out if I should claim the losses on my 2022 return or my 2023 return (turns out claiming for 2022 was much better in my situation). Even helped me reconstruct some records that were damaged in the flooding. Definitely saved me from making some major mistakes on my disaster-related deductions.

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Arjun Patel

•8M

For anyone struggling to get answers directly from the IRS about these disaster extensions, I highly recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was trying for WEEKS to get clarification about my specific situation in the California disaster zone. After getting nowhere with the regular IRS phone lines, I used Claimyr and they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in under 15 minutes! You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The agent was able to confirm exactly which deadlines applied to my business taxes and payroll filings since my situation was a bit complicated.

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Arjun Patel

•8M

It works by using an automated system that navigates the IRS phone trees and waits on hold for you. When an agent finally picks up, you get a call back connecting you directly to them. It saves you from having to personally wait on hold for hours. The service doesn't collect any tax information from you - it just helps you get through the phone system. Once you're connected to the IRS agent, your conversation is private between you and them, just like if you had called directly. I was skeptical too until I tried it and was able to speak with an actual IRS representative who answered all my questions about the disaster extension.

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Tony Brooks

•8M

I need to eat my words about that Claimyr service. After posting my skeptical comment, I was desperate to get answers about my partially destroyed business in the Alabama disaster zone. I tried the service, fully expecting it to be a waste of time. No joke - I was connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes after trying unsuccessfully for WEEKS on my own. The agent walked me through exactly how to handle my quarterly employment taxes with this special October deadline and confirmed that I could indeed postpone my estimated tax payments without penalties. They even helped me understand how to document business property losses for my tax return. Saved me hours of frustration and probably a lot of money in potential mistakes I would have made without the clarification.

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