These Georgia counties qualify for tax relief following Hurricane Idalia

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Georgia residents affected by Hurricane Idalia will now have more time to submit their tax filings.

Idalia descended on Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas in late August — bringing high-speed winds, heavy downpours, tornadoes, and widespread flooding.

Photos: Damage from Hurricane Idalia across Georgia, Florida

The Internal Revenue Service announced Wednesday that individuals and businesses within the declared disaster area will have until February 15, 2024 to make payments on most tax documents previously due on or after Aug. 30.

Those Georgia communities include Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bulloch, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Echols, Emanuel, Glynn, Jeff Davis, Jenkins, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Screven, Tattnall, Thomas, Tift, Ware, and Wayne counties.

Gov. Kemp declares state of emergency for all of Georgia ahead of Hurricane Idalia

According to the IRS, 2022 income tax returns with a payment due date of Oct. 16, 2023 would be eligible for the disaster relief extension, however, 2022 returns originally due on April 18 would not qualify.

The February 2024 extended deadline also applies to quarterly estimated tax payments that are normally due in mid-September and January, said the agency.

Affected taxpayers in these declared disaster areas can also claim disaster-related casualty losses on their federal income tax return for 2022 or 2023.

“Taxpayers choosing to claim their losses on their 2022 return have extra time, until Oct. 15, 2024, to make this election,” the IRS said. “Taxpayers claiming the disaster loss on their return should put FEMA disaster declaration number, 4738-DR on any return.”

If you or someone you know is in a declared disaster area and has received a late filing notice or late payment penalty from the Internal Revenue Service, you are asked to call the IRS disaster hotline at 866-562-5227 to see if you qualify for this relief.

For more information, click here.

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