| The IRS has announced further tax relief for victims of | | | | identify themselves. To do so, taxpayers must contact |
| Hurricane Katrina due to slow clean up efforts and | | | | the IRS by calling 1-866-562-5227, a disaster relief |
| obviously devastated areas. | | | | hotline or writing Hurricane Katrina on their tax returns |
| The IRS is giving relief to both businesses and individual | | | | when filing. |
| taxpayers in certain areas that have been absolutely | | | | Importantly, none of these extensions applies to any |
| wiped out. Instead of being required to file in March or | | | | ongoing business tax requirements for entities which |
| April, depending on whether the payer is a business or | | | | are functioning. Ongoing business tax requirements |
| individual, all taxpayers in certain regions will have till | | | | include items such as filing employment tax deposits |
| August 28, 2006. Further, the IRS is waiving all late filing | | | | for employee wages if your business is still functioning. |
| penalties on people in the impacted areas even if they | | | | You can file your annual tax return late, but not |
| don't file by the August 28, 2006 deadline. | | | | monthly or quarterly items if you are up and running. |
| This automatic extension represents a very positive | | | | Without doubt, the Internal Revenue Service is the |
| move by the IRS, but readers should keep in mind it | | | | most maligned agency in the government. It is ironic |
| doesn't apply to all areas. Only the most severely | | | | that the agency has made positive step after positive |
| damaged areas get to take advantage of the | | | | step to grant relief of all sorts to victims in the disaster |
| extension. Those areas are in Louisiana: Cameron, | | | | zone. The IRS has even published articles and press |
| Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. | | | | releases telling victims how to file amended taxes to |
| Charles, and St. Tammany. The automatic extension is | | | | claim the losses on previous tax returns and get |
| also applied to individuals living in the Mississippi counties | | | | refunds. |
| of Hancock, Harrison and Jackson. | | | | Compared to the rest of the federal government, the |
| For impacted taxpayers who live outside of these | | | | IRS is clearly the only agency that has stepped up and |
| areas, the IRS is willing to grant more time to file taxes. | | | | delivered for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. For once, |
| Said taxpayers, however, must contact the IRS to | | | | the IRS deserves a standing ovation. |