Because of Hurricane Irene, President Obama declared the following New York and New Jersey counties a federal disaster area:
Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren.
Albany, Clinton, Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Greene, Montgomery, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Otsego, Rensselaer, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, Warren, Washington and Westchester.
Treasury Regulation §301.7508A-1 discusses the postponement of tax-related deadlines because of a federally declared disaster. Taxpayers affected by Hurricane Irene may be eligible for the postponement of time to file returns, pay taxes and other time-sensitive acts.
If you are a New York or New Jersey taxpayer affected by the Hurricane and receive an IRS penalty notice, contact the IRS to request that the IRS abate any interest and any late filing or late payment penalties. On the IRS’s website it states that “Penalties or interest will be abated only for taxpayers if an original or extended filing, payment or deposit due date, including an extended filing or payment due date, that falls within the postponement period.” The IRS also states that “it is waiving the failure-to-deposit penalties for employment (payroll) and tax deposits due on or after Aug. 27, and on or before Sept. 12, as long as the deposits are made by Sept. 12, 2011.”
