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Hurricane Debby left a trail of destruction in the southeastern United States that left a balance of eight dead and billions of dollars in damages. Once the emergency was over, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) implemented relief measures for those affected by the storm.
Debby hit the southeastern coast of the country twice, on August 3 and 8. The states most affected by the passage of the hurricane were South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. Thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed or severely damaged by the storm.
To alleviate the situation of those affected, the IRS postponed the deadlines for various payments and taxpayer obligations. In a statement, the IRS announced that the new date will be February 3, 2025, for those who qualify for the benefit.
The extension will include several tax obligations, such as tax filing and payment dates, due between August 1 and August 4 in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, and through August 5 in North Carolina.
Who qualifies for the extension?
In the statement issued on Friday, August 9, the IRS reported that the tax relief for Debby's passage will apply to individuals and businesses within the disaster area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The area includes 46 counties in South Carolina, 61 in Florida, 55 in Georgia, and 66 in North Carolina. The same relief will apply to any other county that is later added by FEMA to the disaster area.
The list of eligible localities is available on the Disaster Tax Relief page on the IRS website.
Additional tax relief
Individuals and businesses that have suffered a disaster-related loss that was uninsured or has not been reimbursed can apply for tax relief for federally declared disaster areas.
They can file their application on the return for the year in which the loss occurred or on the application for the previous year. Those affected by Debby must file their application for relief on their 2024 return.
As additional relief, taxpayers within the disaster area will have up to six months after the usual deadline to file their application. That is, those affected by Debby can file their application until October 15.