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Source: Congress.gov
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Unknown (SPEAKER_28)
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Unknown (SPEAKER_28)
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Unknown (SPEAKER_28)
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Unknown (SPEAKER_28)
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Unknown (SPEAKER_28)
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Unknown (SPEAKER_28)
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Unknown (SPEAKER_28)
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Unknown (SPEAKER_28)
The committee will come to order. We are here today to continue this committee's ongoing efforts to support American taxpayers, particularly those impacted by natural disasters. Last year, thanks to the leadership of Congressman Stubbe, the Ways and Means Committee advanced legislation to provide tax relief to victims of natural disasters, including families affected by 300 different disasters in 45 states. Most everyone on this dais could list natural disasters that have recently affected their home state. There are several members here today who represent communities where folks are just beginning to return home and clear debris. For most Americans, filing taxes is a headache. For these disaster victims, the process can be even more of a burden. They are rightly focused on putting a roof over their head, not sifting through paperwork that may have been damaged or destroyed in order to meet a tax deadline. Our first two bills will help these folks focus on their rightful number one priority, rebuilding and restoring what was lost. Our first bill from Representatives Murphy and Panetta injects common sense into tax filing dates. Federal disaster declarations often result in postponement of the deadline for those impacted to file and pay taxes. Understandably, some taxpayers living in a disaster area choose to file their taxes and wait to pay the tax so they can replace the items they've lost. However, while taxpayers who receive an extension from the IRS also receive additional time to claim a tax credit or refund, the same additional time is currently not afforded to taxpayers who file and pay their taxes due to a postponed filing date from the IRS, such as occurs after a natural disaster.
This bill provides a common sense solution that would fix this issue so that victims of natural disasters have additional time to claim a refund in the same way that those who request a filing extension receive additional time. Next, we are helping disaster victims receive desperately needed tax relief sooner rather than later. For too many Americans, help from the federal government after a natural disaster can take too much time to arrive. This bipartisan bill from Representatives Kustoff and Chu authorizes the Treasury Department in consultation with FEMA to postpone tax filing deadlines for Americans living in state declared disaster areas, just as they do for federally declared disasters. If a state moves faster in declaring an emergency, the Treasury Department
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