Taxes may not be top of mind after disaster strikes, but proper action now can mean avoiding potential problems later. The Internal Revenue Service has assembled tips for those affected by Harvey, several of which are highlighted here. Remember to contact a tax professional for guidance on your specific situation.

获得过去的纳税申报表.
Personal records are immediately accessible for free at 国税局.政府.

See if you qualify for extended deadlines.
The IRS is giving Harvey victims in 18 Texas counties until January 31, 2018, to file certain individual and business tax returns and make certain tax payments. This includes a filing extension for taxpayers with valid extensions that run out on October 16, and businesses with extensions that ran out on September 15.

You don’t need to contact the IRS to activate these extensions since it automatically provides relief to taxpayers with an address located in the disaster area. Get more details on who qualifies for extensions.

跟踪扣减损失.
If there is damage to personal, 收入优先生产, 或者商业财产, you may be able to claim a casualty loss deduction on your tax return. 伤亡就是损失, 破坏, or loss of property resulting from an identifiable event that is sudden, 意想不到的, 或不寻常的.

Individuals and businesses with uninsured or unreimbursed disaster-related losses can claim on either the return for the year the loss occurred (in the case of Harvey, the 2017 return filed next year), 或者2016年的回报.

Prepare to prove a loss and its costs.
The IRS says to compute loss, determine:

  • The decrease in fair market value of the property that resulted from the casualty or disaster.
  • The adjusted basis of the property, which is generally what was paid for the property, 增加或减少, 因为某些事件.

You can deduct the smaller of these two amounts, minus insurance or other reimbursement. Certain deduction limits apply.