The IRS has announced relief for victims of Hurricane Matthew in North Carolina from certain date related deadlines in IR-2016-19.  The IRS has continued to expand the list of affected counties over time, with the most recent update coming Monday, October 17.

As of October 17 the counties for which relief has been granted includes:

• Beaufort,
• Bladen,
• Columbus,
• Cumberland,
• Edgecombe,
• Hoke,
• Lenoir,
• Nash,
• Pitt,
• Robeson,
• Bertie,
• Johnston,
• Wayne,
• Wilson,
• Greene,
• Harnett,
• Sampson,
• Dare,
• Duplin,
• Gates,
• Hyde,
• Jones,
• Pender,
• Martin,
• Tyrrell,
• Washington

The relief applies to affected taxpayers who reside in the affected counties or have a business in the affected counties.  Individuals providing relief services in the affected areas are also granted this relief, along with those who may not reside or have a business in the affected areas, but whose business records necessary for tax compliance are located within an affected area.

Taxpayers who certain obligations with a due date that falls on or after October 4, 2016 and on or before March 17, 2017 will have that deadline postponed until March 17, 2017.  That will include the individual fourth quarter estimated tax payments due in January for 2016. 

Deposits of employment and excise taxes don’t get that length of an extension, but the IRS will not impose penalties for any deposits due on or after October 4, 2016 so long as they are made by October 19, 2016.

The full definition of “affected taxpayers” is described by the IRS as follows:

Taxpayers considered to be affected taxpayers eligible for the postponement of time to file returns, pay taxes and perform other time-sensitive acts are those taxpayers listed in Treas. Reg. § 301.7508A-1(d)(1), and include individuals who live, and businesses whose principal place of business is located, in the covered disaster area. Taxpayers not in the covered disaster area, but whose records necessary to meet a deadline listed in Treas. Reg. § 301.7508A-1(c) are in the covered disaster area, are also entitled to relief. In addition, all relief workers affiliated with a recognized government or philanthropic organization assisting in the relief activities in the covered disaster area and any individual visiting the covered disaster area who was killed or injured as a result of the disaster are entitled to relief.