Due to severe weather events like flooding, mudslides, and landslides, many people in California have tax deadline extensions, which means that those taxpayers were given more time by the IRS to file. And in some counties, the 2023 California state tax deadline was also extended.
But for people not in declared disaster areas of the state, the deadline for filing federal tax returns was April 18, 2023. However, the extended IRS tax deadline extension for many Californians was Oct. 16.
Updated: However, on Oct. 16, Just as most Californians thought their taxes had finally come due, the IRS further postponed California tax deadlines for people in 58 counties impacted by natural disasters last winter.
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As Kiplinger reported, the previous due date was Oct. 16, but the new postponement means that many California taxpayers and businesses now have until Nov. 16, 2023, to file their 2022 federal income tax returns and pay any tax due.
Here's what you need to know.
IRS California extended tax deadline for 2023
The IRS twice extended the tax deadline for taxpayers in California impacted by natural disasters last year. The first extension was to May 31, and then the RS tax deadline extension was to Oct. 16, 2023. The latest postponement to Nov. 16 means some Californians have about four weeks more to file their federal tax returns.
When the IRS tax deadline is extended, other deadlines tied to Tax Day are extended as well. So, for California, people in storm-impacted areas of the state also have more time to contribute to their IRAs and health savings accounts (HSAs).
- The deadline for making those contributions is Nov. 16, 2023.
- Keep in mind that usual IRA contribution limits and HSA contribution limits still apply, so double-check to see if you have room to contribute before you file your taxes.
Note: If you received a notice earlier this summer from the IRS saying that you had only 21 days to pay your taxes, that notice didn't apply if you live or work in an IRS-declared disaster area. For more information, see Kiplinger's reporting on the confusing IRS notices sent to Californians.
Related: RS Tax Balance Due Notices Confuse California Taxpayers
The IRS tax deadline extension for people in California also applies to certain 2022 estimated payments of federal income tax. For example:
- If you had an estimated tax payment due on Jan. 17, 2023, the IRS says that you could skip that payment and include it with your tax return when you file on or before Nov. 16.
- Farmers in affected areas of California also have until Nov. 16, 2023, to make estimated payments and pay any tax due if you normally file your federal tax return by March 1.
- If you have estimated tax payments due this year (2023), the IRS extended tax deadline applies to payments that would normally be due on April 18 (that was Tax Day for most people), June 15, and Sept. 15, 2023.
Which California counties have a tax extension?
People who reside in or have businesses in 55 of 58 counties in California designated by the IRS as storm-impacted are eligible for tax deadline relief. You can find that information, sometimes updated to include additional counties, on the IRS website.
But some of the many affected counties so far include Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, and Humboldt. Also included: Inyo, Kings, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, and Santa Barbara. Additionally, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo, and Yuba counties are considered eligible for tax deadline relief.
California income tax filing deadline extended again
When the initial IRS tax extension was announced, Gov. Gavin Newsom also announced California state tax deadline extensions for impacted areas of the state. The California tax deadline is usually April 18, and money owed on a California state return is normally due at the same time. (California also normally grants an automatic extension to file a state tax return until Oct. 16, 2023.)
But since California announced an extension for filing state taxes and paying taxes owed, if any, for Californians in affected storm areas, that due date matches the IRS tax deadline extension of Nov. 16, 2023.
How to pay California state tax
To pay your California state tax (if you owe), you can visit the California FTB website. There, you will find information about various payment methods, such as paying by credit card, check, or money order, or directly from your bank account. The website also provides options for electronic funds transfer and payment plans.
Claiming disaster losses in California
California’s Franchise Tax Board (FTB) provides information for residents in storm-impacted areas who need to claim disaster losses. Taxpayers should include the name of the disaster in blue or black at the top of their state tax return, according to the FTB. Those who file electronically will answer a question when prompted by tax software and enter the disaster information accordingly. The FTB says that affected taxpayers can claim the losses on original and amended returns for the 2022 tax year.
To claim disaster losses on your federal tax return, generally, the losses must be related to your home, household items, and vehicles and be caused by a federally declared disaster, according to the IRS. However, you cannot deduct disaster losses that are covered by insurance unless you file for reimbursement on time and reduce your claimed losses by the amount you were reimbursed.
If you have disaster losses and aren’t sure how to claim them on your tax return, consult a qualified tax professional.
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