IRS Provides Additional Time to File
Individual Tax Returns In Areas
Hardest Hit by Katrina

WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service is providing additional time to file 2004 and 2005 individual income tax returns through Oct. 16, 2006 for certain affected taxpayers hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina.

Earlier this year, the IRS granted a postponement through Aug. 28, 2006, for certain time-sensitive acts for Katrina victims in the most severely damaged parishes and counties of Louisiana and Mississippi. The IRS is now granting additional time through Oct. 16, 2006, for these affected taxpayers to file certain individual income tax returns.  The additional time to file individual income tax returns applies only for affected taxpayers in 31 Louisiana parishes, 49 Mississippi counties and 11 Alabama counties.

Specifically, the IRS is granting additional time through Oct. 16, 2006, for affected taxpayers to file the following individual income tax returns:

• 2004 individual income tax returns, originally due on April 15, 2005, for which taxpayers obtained an extension of time to file until Oct. 15, 2005, and for which the previous grant of disaster relief postponed the due date to Aug. 28, 2006.
• 2005 individual income tax returns, originally due on April 15, 2006, for which the previous grant of disaster relief postponed the due date to Aug. 28, 2006.

This additional postponement of time is not available for any other time-sensitive acts besides these two types of returns.

To ensure that they receive the relief to which they are entitled, affected taxpayers should mark "Hurricane Katrina" in red ink on the top of their returns. In addition, affected taxpayers may identify themselves as eligible for relief by calling the IRS Disaster Hotline at (866) 562-5227.

Legal guidance is available in IRS Notice 2006-56. A full listing of the affected counties is also described on IRS.gov, News Release IR-2006-30 and Notice 2006-20.

Previous | Next

2006 IRS News Releases | News Releases Main | Home