Tax deadline pushed back for Calif. fire victims

updated 7:30 p.m. ET Oct. 29, 2007

WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service said Monday that it has extended several tax filing and payment deadlines for victims of the Southern California wildfires until Jan. 31, 2008.

The extended deadlines apply to taxpayers in the presidential disaster counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura, the agency said. The fires have destroyed more than 2,000 homes.

The extension applies to deadlines that normally fall between Oct. 21, when the fires began, and Jan. 31, the IRS said, including the federal withholding tax return, Form 941, which is normally due Oct. 31.

It also includes the fourth-quarter estimated tax payment, normally due Jan. 15, the agency said, among others.

Any taxpayers in the disaster area who receive a penalty notice from the IRS should contact the agency to have any interest and late payment penalties dropped, the agency said.

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