The Internal Revenue Service has provided for a measure of relief to individuals and businesses that have been impacted by Hurricane Harvey.

As described in Information Release-2017-135, the relief extends the deadline to make certain tax returns and tax payments.  Specifically, the IRS has provided additional time for (a) individual and business tax returns (including extended returns) and (b) tax payments, for taxpayers located in areas designated by Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”), which currently includes 18 counties (subject to change as additional counties are added).  The counties designated as disaster areas (“Designated Counties”) currently identified by FEMA are:

Aransas, Bee, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, Fayette, Fort Bend, Galveston, Goliad, Hardin, Harris, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Kleberg, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Newton, Nueces, Orange, Refugio, Sabine, San Jacinto, San Patricio, Victoria, Wharton, and Waller.

“Affected taxpayers” as defined by the IRS will have until January 31, 2018 to file returns and pay taxes that were originally due during the period running between August 23, 2017 and January 31, 2018.  Such relief will not, however, apply to any payments currently due (for example, amounts due with respect to an extended 2016 return).