Were you impacted by Hurricane Helene? If so, you could get a tax filing extension in SC
South Carolina residents who were impacted by Hurricane Helene could get a tax extension, South Carolina leaders have announced.
During a news conference Wednesday in Greenville with Gov. Henry McMaster, Sen. Lindsey Graham and other South Carolina leaders, U.S. Rep. William Timmons, R-Greenville, said he reached out to the Biden administration and the IRS and confirmed people that need an extension don’t have to file their taxes on Oct. 15, for those who had already had a valid extension.
The IRS agreed to extend people who have been affected by the hurricane to May 1, 2025 to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.
The IRS information website said the tax relief would extend to individuals and businesses in South Carolina that were affected by Hurricane Helene that began on Sept. 25, 2024.
The filing deadline will apply to individuals who had a valid extension to file their 2023 return due to run out on Oct. 15, the IRS information site said. The IRS noted, however, that because tax payments for 2023 returns were due April 15 those payments are not eligible for this relief.
Following the disaster declaration issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), individuals and households that reside or have a business in all 46 counties qualify for tax relief.
“Talk to your filer, make sure that applies to you but we are very fortunate they’ve been able to act so quickly and extend that relief,” Timmons said.
Timmons said to go to disasterassistance.gov to see what kind of assistance may be given and which resources are available. The IRS information page has information on the extension.
The news conference was one of the latest state wide updates from leaders on the extensive damage that Hurricane Helene caused. McMaster confirmed the death count had risen to 39 as of Tuesday, and discussed relief efforts from the state, including utility workers getting the power back on.
Hurricane Helene destroyed areas in North Carolina and Tennessee, and at least 130 people died as a result of the storm, the Associated Press and CNN reported. It ranks in the top 10 deadliest storms in mainland United States history, according to USA Today. The number of victims could continue to grow as cleanup and rescue operations continue.
Timmons also warned people to keep in mind that power may not come back on until next week. Neighbors need to help neighbors, he said.
“We’re going to be OK. Were going to get through this,” he said. “We need to be praying for our friends across the border in Asheville. They are struggling a lot more. We need to remember that we are fortunate. We’ve gotten through the hard part, but we’ve got to have patience to get through the rest.”
This story was originally published October 3, 2024 at 11:35 AM.