IRS postpones tax filing deadline for victims of Hawaii wildfires

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on Friday announced that it will offer tax relief to the victims of the wildfires in Hawaii.

Taxpayers on Maui will now have until Feb. 15, 2024, instead of the original Oct. 16 deadline, to file federal individual and business tax returns and make payments, according to a release.

The extended relief is being offered to households or business owners in the area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Various tax-filing deadlines between Aug. 8 and the new deadline will be postponed, according to officials.

The following tax deadlines are impacted by the relief extension:

• Quarterly estimated income tax payments normally due on Sept. 15, 2023, and Jan. 16, 2024
• Quarterly payroll and excise tax returns normally due on Oct. 31, 2023, and Jan. 31, 2024
• Calendar-year partnerships and S corporations whose 2022 extensions run out on Sept. 15, 2023
• Calendar-year corporations whose 2022 extensions run out on Oct. 16, 2023
• Calendar-year tax-exempt organizations whose extensions run out on Nov. 15, 2023

In addition, the IRS will reduce the penalties for failing to make payroll and excise tax deposits due on or after Aug. 8 and before Sept. 7, as long as deposits are made on time.

Taxpayers who are in areas that qualify for the relief will automatically receive it and do not need to contact the IRS, according to the release.

If a taxpayer happens to not have an IRS address in the disaster area because they moved after filing their last return, the agency said it will work with them to get their late payment penalty notice reduced.

The IRS will also work with taxpayers who live outside the disaster area but who have records that meet the requirements of a deadline in the relief period located in the disaster area.

A list of eligible locations is available on the disaster relief page on IRS.gov.