Taxation Legal News

Disaster Extension Gives Extra Time for Taxes (Ohioans Affected by Recent Hurricanes Get 45 Extra Days)

September 30, 2004 – UPDATE: Additional Ohio counties – Athens, Meigs, Gallia, Mahoning, and Vinton – have been designated as federal disaster areas in the wake of recent storms. Taxpayers in these counties, as well as Ohio taxpayers in counties in other states so designated, are also eligible for tax relief in the form of a 45-day extension to file and pay taxes. To find out if a specific county in any state is eligible, visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency web site at http://fema.gov/ or contact the agency at 1-800-621-FEMA (1-800-621-3362).

Columbus -- Ohio residents and Ohio businesses suffering losses from storms related to recent hurricanes can get tax relief during the clean-up period through an extension of up to 45 days to file and pay Ohio taxes.

Eligible residents required to make any Ohio tax payment or required to file any Ohio tax or Ohio tax report between September 15 and October 31 now have until November 1 to pay and file without incurring any penalty or additional charges. Interest is not subject to waiver.

This extension is available for residents and businesses in the 15 counties that were declared federal disaster areas following flooding this past weekend. The extension also applies to residents and businesses residing in a county in another state that is also a federally-declared disaster area as a result of the recent hurricanes and related storms.

Counties in Ohio affected by the declaration are:

• Belmont
• Carroll
• Columbiana
• Guernsey
• Harrison
• Jefferson
• Monroe
• Morgan
• Muskingum
• Noble
• Perry
• Stark
• Trumbull
• Tuscarawas
• Washington

Other states with counties declared as federal disaster areas in the wake of the recent hurricanes and related storms:

• Alabama
• Florida
• Georgia
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• West Virginia

Individuals and businesses qualifying for the extension must, as of September 15, reside in or operate a business in a county that has been declared a federal disaster area due to the most recent storms. Qualifying counties are listed on the Federal Emergency Management Agency web site at fema.gov. Additional information is available from the agency at 1-800-621-FEMA (1-800-621-3362).

Individuals and businesses qualifying for the extension do not have to file any special form. Those who are qualified must simply write or type, in bold letters, “Disaster Relief” across the top of their payment check, return, or report at the time it is filed. The Ohio Department of Taxation will credit their tax account accordingly. If the Department inadvertently issues a bill, taxpayers must write “Disaster Relief” in bold letters and return the billing.

The Ohio Department of Taxation is offering this tax extension program to help storm victims rebuild their lives and communities. 

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	Did You Know?
	There are tax rules if change in accounting method is made Generally, the partnership must get IRS consent to change its method of accounting used to report income (for income as a whole or for any material item). To do so, it must file Form 3115, Application for Change in Accounting Method. See Form 3115 and Pub. 538, Accounting Periods and Methods.