The recovery process in the Texas areas affected by Hurricane Harvey has already begun, but the reconstruction will take time and money. To relieve the burden during this period, the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) is providing tax relief for Harvey’s victims.
They are shifting their usual policies to help out those who have been devastated by the hurricane.
Due to the hurricane, one thing many have noticed increasing is the price of gas. In response to the shortages of undyed diesel fuel caused by Hurricane Harvey, the IRS will not apply a penalty when dyed diesel fuel is sold for use or used on the highway. This covers the entire state of Texas.
This relief policy also applies to those who sell gas. According to irs.gov, in the case of the operator of the vehicle in which the dyed fuel is used, the relief is available only if the operator or the person selling the fuel pays the tax of 24.4 cents per gallon that is normally applied to diesel fuel for highway use. The IRS will not impose penalties for failure to make semi-monthly deposits of this tax.
This penalty waiver is effective until September 15, 2017.
“Special tax laws can help taxpayers and businesses recover financially from the impact of a disaster, especially when the federal government declares their location to be a major disaster area. Depending on the circumstances, the IRS may grant additional time to file returns and pay taxes. Both individuals and businesses in a federally declared disaster area can get a faster refund by claiming losses related to the disaster on the tax return for the previous year, usually by filing an amended return,” says the irs.gov website.
IRS Information about self-employed and small businesses
For more IRS information about individuals and businesses, click on the Disaster Assistance and Emergency Relief section on the irs.gov website. It leads to information for small businesses and self-employed in regards to tax help.
Some counties in Texas are eligible for individual disaster assistance and for more information on how to qualify for financial assistance after Hurricane Harvey, click on these links.
- Use the address lookup on DisasterAssistance.gov to find out if you qualify for aid.
- Fill out the DisasterAssistance.gov questionnaire and online aid application.