disaster - Linkenheimer LLP CPAs & Advisors

California Tax News Related to Wildfires

Tax relief is available for California employers in counties hit by recent wildfires. The CA Employment Development Dept. (EDD) has announced that employers in Butte, Los Angeles and Ventura counties directly affected by the Camp, Hill and Woolsey fires may request up to a 60-day extension of time from the EDD to file their state payroll reports and deposit state payroll taxes without penalty or interest. Written extension requests must be received within 60 days from the original delinquent date of the payment or return.

Due to a presidential disaster declaration, some victims of California’s recent wildfires may qualify for federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA). DUA provides temporary unemployment assistance to eligible individuals whose work or self-employment has been interrupted due to a major disaster and who also meet certain other conditions. This applies to losses in CA from the Camp, Hill, and Woolsey fires. Eligible persons may receive up to $450 per week for up to 27 weeks. The deadline to file is 12/14/18. If you have any questions, please contact your Linkenheimer CPA. For more info […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:04:26+00:00November 21st, 2018|CA tax, california, disaster|0 Comments

Some California Taxpayers are Receiving Erroneous Late Notices

Some California taxpayers are receiving erroneous late notices. Taxpayers who reside in federally declared disaster areas have been granted extra time to accomplish state tax-related tasks, such as filing tax returns and paying taxes due. The CA Franchise Tax Board (FTB) has reported that, due to a systemic issue, some taxpayers who qualify for this relief have received notices assessing late-filing penalties. While the FTB works to update its system and address this issue, taxpayers can contact the FTB on its homepage and click live chat: https://bit.ly/2MG3HMz

If you have questions, you can also contact your Linkenheimer CPA.

By Linkenheimer LLP|2018-10-02T19:02:24+00:00October 2nd, 2018|disaster, ftb, irs, tax|0 Comments

FTB Issuing Late Filing Penalties, Despite Extension Due to Fires

We have had clients receive FTB notices with a much larger late filing penalty than it should be, despite being extended due to the fires. We spoke to the FTB, and they said that their system is not picking up the zip codes, and therefore notices are being issued with the late filing penalty. They suggest calling in and the account will be flagged to auto adjust once they fix their system (IT is updating their coding) but temporarily they are placing holds on those accounts after you call in. Please be aware of this and contact your Linkenheimer CPA if you get a notice and don’t just pay it, as this may complicate the adjustment process. We will keep you updated and let you know once the FTB has resolved the issue. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact us.

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:04:42+00:00March 14th, 2018|california, disaster, Fire Relief Info, ftb|0 Comments

Disaster Relief Provisions in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018

On February 9, Congress passed, and the President signed into law, H.R. 1892, the “Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018” (the Budget Act, P.L. 115-123). In addition to providing a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through March 23, this 2-year budget contains a host of tax law changes. The Act retroactively extends through 2017 over 30 so called “extender” provisions, provides a number of miscellaneous tax-related provisions, and includes tax relief to victims of the California wildfires and Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.

Relief from early withdrawal tax for California wildfire distribution. A distribution from a qualified retirement plan, a tax-sheltered annuity plan, an eligible deferred compensation plan of a State or local government employer, or an individual retirement arrangement (IRA) generally is included in income for the year distributed. In addition, unless an exception applies, a distribution received before age 59½ is subject to a 10% additional tax under Code Sec. 72(t) (the “early withdrawal tax”) on the amount includible in income.

In general, a distribution from an eligible retirement plan may be rolled over to another eligible retirement plan within 60 days, in which case the amount rolled over generally is not includible in income. The 60-day requirement can be waived by IRS in […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:04:43+00:00February 16th, 2018|disaster, New Tax Laws, relief|0 Comments

Reminder: Property Tax Relief Available for Those Impacted by Fires

If your property has been damaged by the recent fires, mudslides, erosion, and flash flooding you may be eligible for property tax relief. In many cases, the damaged property can be reappraised in its current condition, with some taxes refunded to the property owner. Once rebuilt, the property’s pre-damaged value will be restored.

To qualify for property tax relief, you must file a claim with your county assessors’ office within 12 months from the date of damage or destruction. The loss estimate must be at least $10,000 of current market value to qualify.

Owners of eligible property may also apply for deferral of the next property tax installment on the regular secured roll or tax payments on the supplemental roll, without penalties or interest. The disaster must be the result of a Governor-proclaimed state of emergency. When a timely claim for deferral is filed, the next property tax installment payment is deferred without penalty or interest until the county assessor has reassessed the property and a corrected tax bill has been sent to the property owner.
For further information on property tax disaster relief, please see the new Disaster Relief website with helpful […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:04:43+00:00February 1st, 2018|disaster, Fire Relief Info, property tax|0 Comments