Tennessee U.S. Representative David Kustoff (R-TN-08) and U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) have introduced a bill in both the house and senate that would provide relief for impacted taxpayers in states that have issued state-level disaster declarations.
NEW BILL —> I introduced the Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act today in the House of Representatives to give families and businesses affected by natural disasters and emergencies the flexibility they need to recover.
More here: https://t.co/Qq8Hl5sUy4
— Rep. David Kustoff (@RepDavidKustoff) June 6, 2023
Under current law, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) only has the authority to postpone filing deadlines in case of a presidentially-declared federal disaster, not state-level emergencies.
Blackburn and Kustoff’s Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act would allow a state or territory governor to “extend a federal tax filing deadline in the event of a state-declared emergency or disaster.”
The bill, if enacted, would expand the mandatory federal filing extension from 60 days to 120 days for individuals affected by state-level disasters or emergencies.
“Many Tennesseans lose their livelihoods when a natural disaster hits, and it is essential that they are eligible to receive tax relief from the federal government even in the absence of a major disaster or state of emergency declaration,” Blackburn said in a statement. “The Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act would ensure that when extreme weather or natural disasters strike Tennessee, the governor can extend tax relief to those who have been affected.”
Kustoff added, “Over the years, West Tennessee families and businesses have been impacted by natural disasters. The Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act will provide relief to taxpayers affected by such crises so that they can focus on what matters most: caring for loved ones and rebuilding their communities. This legislation will give Americans impacted by natural disasters the flexibility they need in order to recover.”
Tennessee was recently affected by a natural disaster, as 10 counties (Cannon, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Lewis, Macon, McNairy, Rutherford, Tipton, and Wayne) were impacted by tornadoes and severe storms on March 31 and April 1.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved Governor Bill Lee’s request for federal emergency assistance at the time.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “David Kustoff” by Congressman David Kustoff. Photo “Marsha Blackburn” by Sen. Marsha Blackburn. Background Photo “U.S. Capitol” by Sandy Torchon.
