Tax relief for federally declared disaster areas

Get more time to file and pay your taxes after a disaster

You may be eligible for an extension to file your return and pay your tax bill if you are in a federally declared disaster area. In most cases, you will not need to request an extension. You will get it automatically.

• Use the FEMA search tool to find federally declared disasters.
• Get the latest information about when to file and pay your tax bill. Find out what help you can get based on your state or the year the disaster occurred.

Get a refund faster by claiming your losses after a disaster

To get a faster tax refund, you will need to claim your losses from a disaster. 

• You can claim your losses on a Form 1040 that you would normally file or on an amended return using Form 1040-X.
  • Learn if you should claim your disaster losses by filing a regular 1040 form or an amended 1040-X return based on when the disaster occurred.
• Whether you use a 1040 or a 1040-X form, you will also need to include Form 4684 to report your losses from the disaster. 

Learn more about disaster tax relief

You can find additional tax and disaster information from the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS). This independent organization within the IRS offers a variety of tax-related resources.

Search the TAS website for disaster relief and preparedness tips such as:

• Finding updated tax information related to recent disasters
• Protecting tax records and documenting assets before a disaster strikes
• Reconstructing tax records if they were lost or destroyed

For more information, you can also call the IRS disaster hotline at 1-866-562-5227.