In response to the devastation along the Gulf Coast, the IRS is giving tax relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina. The following steps are expected to be expanded upon in the next few weeks. The IRS seems to realize it is hard to file your taxes if your home or business is gone.

Tax Relief - A Small Step

The Commissioner of the IRS has issued orders extending all tax filing requirements for victims of Hurricane Katrina till October 31st. The IRS is also waiving all interest and late filing penalties that would otherwise apply. As the extent of the damage becomes clear, the Commissioner is expected to issue further extensions.

If you live in any of the following areas, the extensions apply to you:

1. Louisiana parishes: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Calcasieu, Cameron, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, Desoto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Iberia, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, LaSalle, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Pointe Coupee, Plaquemines, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Landry, St. Mary, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Tensas, Terrebonne, Union, Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, Webster, West Baton Rouge, West Carroll, West Feliciana and Winn;

2. Mississippi counties: Adams, Amite, Attala, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Claiborne, Clarke, Clay, Copiah, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Itawamba, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Kemper, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lee, Lincoln, Lowndes, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Rankin, Scott, Simpson, Smith, Stone, Walthall, Warren, Wayne, Webster, Wilkinson, and Winston;

3. Alabama counties: Baldwin, Clarke, Choctaw, Mobile, Sumter and Washington; and

4. Three Florida counties: Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe.

If you do not live in the disaster areas, but use tax professions from there, the IRS will also give you tax relief. However, you must contact the IRS to let them know at 1-866-562-5227.

Obviously, taxes are the least of the issues facing Americans in the disaster zone. Still, it is nice to know the IRS is backing off.