WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statements after their bipartisan bill to provide relief for impacted taxpayers in states that have issued state-level disaster declarations was signed into law by President Trump. The Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act allows the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to postpone filing deadlines for taxpayers affected by state-declared natural disasters, instead of only presidentially-declared federal disasters. This law ensures that those impacted by fires, floods, and storms get the tax relief they need.

“The last thing Tennesseans should have to worry about when a natural disaster like Hurricane Helene strikes is meeting a tax-filing deadline,” said Senator Blackburn. “Now that President Trump has signed our bipartisan Tax Relief for Natural Disasters Act into law, Americans impacted by natural disasters will have the flexibility to focus on recovery, not tax paperwork.”

“When a natural disaster strikes, hard-hit families looking for tax relief shouldn’t have to wait for the federal government to act,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This commonsense bill will ensure that taxpayers who have been through state emergencies can get the flexibility from the IRS that they deserve while recovering.”

This legislation was co-sponsored by

Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statements after theirbipartisan bill to provide relief for impacted taxpayers in states that have issued state-level disaster declarations was signed into law by President Trump. The Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act allows the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to postpone filing deadlines for taxpayers affected by state-declared natural disasters, instead of only presidentially-declared federal disasters. This law ensures that those impacted by fires, floods, and storms get the tax relief they need.

“The last thing Tennesseans should have to worry about when a natural disaster like Hurricane Helene strikes is meeting a tax-filing deadline,” said Senator Blackburn. “Now that President Trump has signed our bipartisan Tax Relief for Natural Disasters Act into law, Americans impacted by natural disasters will have the flexibility to focus on recovery, not tax paperwork.”

“When a natural disaster strikes, hard-hit families looking for tax relief shouldn’t have to wait for the federal government to act,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This commonsense bill will ensure that taxpayers who have been through state emergencies can get the flexibility from the IRS that they deserve while recovering.”

This legislation was co-sponsored by Senators John Kennedy (R-La.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).

• The Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act allows the governor of a state or territory to extend a federal tax filing deadline in the event of a state-declared emergency or disaster, which happens automatically for federally-declared disasters. Extending this authority to states gives them the ability to provide relief independent of the federal government’s involvement in an emergency or natural disaster.
  
• This law expands the mandatory federal filing extension from 60 days to 120 days.
  
• Representatives David Kustoff (R-Tenn.) and Judy Chu (D-Calif.) led the companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

(D-Md.).

• The Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act allows the governor of a state or territory to extend a federal tax filing deadline in the event of a state-declared emergency or disaster, which happens automatically for federally-declared disasters. Extending this authority to states gives them the ability to provide relief independent of the federal government’s involvement in an emergency or natural disaster.
  
• This law expands the mandatory federal filing extension from 60 days to 120 days.
  
• Representatives David Kustoff (R-Tenn.) and Judy Chu (D-Calif.) led the companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.