The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers that disaster preparation season kicks off soon with National Wildfire Awareness Month in May and National Hurricane Preparedness Week, May 4-10.

With tax season over and peak periods for disasters approaching, now is a good time for taxpayers to think about protecting important tax and financial information as part of a disaster emergency plan.

Disasters can have an immediate and lasting impact on individuals, organizations and businesses. Year-round preparation is important, and observing Hurricane Preparedness Week and Wildfire Awareness Month provides an opportunity for an annual assessment of readiness.

So far in 2025, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued 12 major disaster declarations in nine states impacted by winter storms, flooding, tornadoes, wildfires, landslides and mudslides. For current disaster declarations and information on how declarations are made, see FEMA’s Current Disasters page.

The IRS offers tips to help taxpayers protect personal financial and tax information when disaster hits.

Protect and make copies of important documents
Original documents such as tax returns, Social Security cards, marriage certificates, birth certificates and land ownership documents need to be secured in a waterproof container in a safe space. Taxpayers are also encouraged to make copies of these important documents and store them in a secondary location such as a safe deposit box or with a trusted person who lives in a different area. In addition, scanned documents can be stored on a flash drive for easy portability.

Keep a record of valuables
Taxpayers should use cell phones or other mobile devices to make a record of high-value items. A simple list with current photos or videos can help support claims for insurance or tax benefits after a disaster. The IRS disaster loss workbooks in Publication 584, Casualty, Disaster and Theft Loss Workbook (Personal-Use Property), and Publication 584-B, Business Casualty, Disaster and Theft Loss Workbook, can help individuals and businesses make lists of belongings or business equipment.

Rebuilding records
Reconstructing or replacing records after a disaster may be required for tax purposes, claiming federal assistance or insurance reimbursement. Accurate loss estimates could mean more loan and grant money may be available. Taxpayers who have lost some or all their records during a disaster should visit IRS’s Reconstructing records webpage as a first step.

Employers should check fiduciary bonds
Disasters can impact a business’ ability to make timely federal tax deposits. Employers using payroll service providers should check if the provider has a fiduciary bond in place that can protect the employer in the event of default by the payroll service provider. The IRS reminds employers to choose their payroll service providers carefully.

IRS can provide tax relief after a disaster
After FEMA issues a major disaster or emergency measures declaration, the IRS may postpone certain tax filing and payment deadlines for taxpayers who reside or have a business in certain counties affected by the disaster. The IRS provides details on states and counties that have been issued relief on the IRS Disaster relief page.

Taxpayers in the affected areas do not need to call to request this relief. The IRS automatically identifies taxpayers located in the covered disaster area and applies filing and payment relief. Those impacted by a disaster can contact the IRS Disaster Hotline at 866-562-5227 to ask their tax-related questions of an IRS specialist trained to handle disaster-related issues.

Taxpayers who do not reside or have a business in a covered disaster area but suffered impact from a disaster should call 866-562-5227 to find out if they qualify for disaster tax relief and to discuss other available options.

Source: IRS-2025-55, April 30, 2025

The Internal Revenue Service reminds self-employed individuals, retirees, investors, businesses and corporations that April 15 is the deadline for first quarter estimated tax payments for tax year 2025.

Because federal income taxes are pay-as-you-go, the law requires individuals who don’t have taxes withheld to pay taxes as their income is received or earned throughout the year. Most people meet their tax obligations by having their taxes deducted from their paychecks, pension payments, Social Security benefits or certain other government payments including unemployment compensation.

Taxpayers who are self-employed or in the gig economy are generally required to make estimated tax payments. Likewise, retirees, investors and others frequently need to make these payments because a significant portion of their income is not subject to withholding.

When estimating quarterly tax payments, taxpayers should include all forms of earned income, including part-time work, side jobs or the sale of goods or services, commonly reported on Form 1099-K.

Income such as interest, dividends, capital gains, alimony and rental income is normally not subject to withholding. By making quarterly estimated tax payments, taxpayers can avoid penalties and uphold their tax responsibilities.

Certain groups of taxpayers, including farmers and fishers, recent retirees, individuals with disabilities, those receiving irregular income and victims of disasters and terrorist attacks are eligible for exceptions to penalties.

Paying estimated taxes

Taxpayers can rely on Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals, for comprehensive instructions on computing their estimated taxes.

IRS Online Account streamlines the payment process for taxpayers making estimated payments. There, they can make and view their payment history, monitor pending payments and access pertinent tax information.

Taxpayers have several options to make an estimated tax payments, by mail or pay online with IRS Direct Pay, debit card, credit card, digital wallet or the Treasury Department’s Electronic Federal Tax Payment System.

To pay electronically and for more information on other payment options, visit Make a payment. If paying by check, be sure to make the check payable to the “United States Treasury”.

Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax, offers detailed information for individuals navigating dividend or capital gains income, alternative minimum tax or self-employment tax, or who have other special situations.

Source: IRS-2025-45, April 10, 2025

The Internal Revenue Service today reminds individuals and businesses in areas covered by 2024 disaster declarations that their 2024 federal income tax returns and tax payments for tax year 2024 are due on Thursday, May 1, 2025. Taxpayers in three additional states face fall deadlines.

The IRS normally provides relief, including postponing various tax filing and payment deadlines for any area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). If a taxpayer’s address of record is in a disaster area locality, individual and business taxpayers automatically get the extra time without having to ask for it.

The current list of eligible localities is always available on the Tax relief in disaster situations page on IRS.gov.

What areas qualify for the May 1, 2025, deadline?

The May 1, 2025, deadline applies to taxpayers affected by FEMA disaster declarations issued during 2024. These include:

• Taxpayers in the entire states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina
• Alaska – The City and Borough of Juneau
• New Mexico – Chaves County
• Tennessee – Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties
• Virginia – Albemarle, Appomattox, Bedford, Bland and Botetourt counties; Bristol City; Buchanan, Buckingham, Carroll and Charlotte counties; Covington City; Craig County; Danville City; Dickenson and Floyd counties; Galax City; Giles, Grayson, Greene, Lee, Madison, Montgomery and Nelson counties; Norton City; Patrick, Pittsylvania and Pulaski counties; Radford City; Roanoke City; Roanoke, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise and Wythe counties

Further tax filing extensions available

Anyone who needs a tax filing extension beyond May 1, 2025, for tax year 2024 can get it, but they must request the extra time. This type of filing extension is not an extension of time to pay.

The IRS urges anyone who needs an extension to request it electronically by April 15, 2025. Though disaster-area taxpayers also qualify to request a tax filing extension between April 15 and May 1, 2025, these requests cannot be filed electronically. They can be filed only on paper using Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.

Whether filed electronically or on paper, the extension will give a taxpayers until Oct. 15, 2025, to file their 2024 return. The IRS emphasized that tax payments are still due by May 1, 2025. Visit IRS.gov/extensions for details.

Reminder for other disaster area taxpayers

In addition, individuals and businesses can wait until this fall to file their 2024 returns and pay any taxes due. This includes:

• Oct. 15, 2025, for Los Angeles County in California, related to the January wildfires.
• Nov. 3, 2025, for all of Kentucky and Boone, Greenbrier, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Raleigh, Summers, Wayne and Wyoming counties in West Virginia.

Special relief for terrorist attacks in Israel

Taxpayers who live or have a business in Israel, Gaza or the West Bank, and certain other taxpayers affected by the terrorist attacks in the State of Israel have until Sept. 30, 2025, to file and pay. This includes most returns and taxes due from Oct. 7, 2023, through Sept. 30, 2025, including Form 1040 and 1120 series returns.

What returns and payments qualify for automatic extension?

Eligible returns and payments include:

• Calendar year 2024 partnership and S Corporation returns normally due on March 17.
• 2024 individual income tax returns and payments normally due on April 15.
• Quarterly estimated tax payments normally due on April 15.
• Calendar year 2024 corporate and fiduciary income tax returns and payments normally due on April 15.

Other returns, payments and time-sensitive tax-related actions also qualify for the extra time. See the Disaster assistance and emergency relief for individuals and businesses page for details.

Other relief

The IRS automatically provides filing and penalty relief to any taxpayer with an IRS address of record located in the disaster area. Taxpayers do not need to contact the agency to get this relief. However, if an affected taxpayer receives a late filing or late payment penalty notice from the IRS that has an original or extended filing, payment or deposit due date falling within the postponement period, the taxpayer should call the number on the notice to have the penalty abated.

In addition, the IRS will work with any taxpayer who lives outside the disaster area but whose records necessary to meet a deadline occurring during the postponement period are located in the affected area. Taxpayers qualifying for relief who live outside the disaster area need to contact the IRS at 866-562-5227. This also includes workers assisting with relief activities who are affiliated with a recognized government or philanthropic organization.

Individuals and businesses in a federally declared disaster area who suffered uninsured or unreimbursed disaster-related losses can choose to claim them on either the return for the year the loss occurred or the return for the prior year. See Publication 547, Casualties, Disasters, and Thefts, for details.

Source: IRS-2025-41, April 4, 2025

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has played a crucial role in helping millions of low-to-moderate income workers out of poverty. Saturday, March 29, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of this important credit.

A component of the Tax Reduction Act, EITC was signed into law by President Gerald Ford on March 29, 1975. What began as a modest means to provide financial help to working families has evolved through a series of legislative changes into one of the federal government’s largest anti-poverty programs.

Over the past 50 years, the EITC has had a significant impact in the lives of eligible taxpayers claiming the credit. As of Dec. 2024, approximately 23 million workers and families received about $64 billion from EITC.

In 1975, the maximum credit amount for EITC was $400. For tax year 2024, the EITC can be up to $7,830. Today, the EITC continues to provide financial assistance to low-to-moderate income working families and individuals, with or without children, by helping them cover essentials, save for the future and build financial stability.

Taxpayers can use the EITC Assistant to determine their eligibility. Those that are eligible can learn how to claim the credit on IRS.gov.

Source: IRS-2025-38, March 28, 2025