Letter to Douglas Shulman, Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service - Himes Urges IRS to Extend Tax Filing Deadline for Businesses Impacted by Snow Storm
Letter
Dear Commissioner Shulman:
I write today to request an extension for individuals and businesses from Connecticut that were unable to file and pay their taxes by the October 31, 2011, deadline as a result of power outrages from Winter Storm Alfred, a rare October snowstorm that barreled up the East Coast on October 29-30, inflicting enormous damage to the state of Connecticut.
During the storm, up to twenty inches of snow fell in certain parts of Connecticut and over 740,000 households, representing 60% of households across the state, were without power. Our state's two major power companies reported that this was the largest single outage in history, and while it was projected that complete power restoration would be achieved by November 7, significant power outages still remain.
In response to the storm, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy immediately declared a State of Emergency. On October31, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) followed suit with a Federal Emergency Disaster Declaration. Such a federal declaration permits the IRS (internal Revenue Service) to postpone certain deadlines for taxpayers who reside or have a business in the disaster area.
A number of my constituents and their tax preparers as well as individuals and businesses across the state were not able to file and pay their taxes by the October 31 deadline due to the severe power outages and through no fault of their own. It is my understanding that despite numerous formal requests by the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants (CSCPA), the IRS has provided no official guidance on this October 31 deadline issue. I respectfully request that the IRS provide immediate guidance on this matter, including an appropriate extension on the October 31 deadline, allowing affected taxpayers additional time to file and pay their taxes.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this request.
Sincerely,
James Himes
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