Disaster recovery

The House passed legislation Thursday that provides some tax relief to victims of the recent spate of hurricanes.

The Internal Revenue Service is offering tax relief to victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, along with victims of the other recent monster storms, Harvey and Irma.

The Internal Revenue Service is giving Hurricane Irma victims in Florida until Jan. 31 to file some individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, along with 30 other members of Congress, has introduced a bill to provide tax relief to victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, in addition to the relief granted in recent weeks by the Internal Revenue Service.

It took two days after Hurricane Irma ripped through the British Virgin Islands, damaging or destroying an estimated 70 percent of the territory’s buildings, for the Caribbean tax haven to start piecing back together its lucrative corporate-registry business.

The Internal Revenue Service is giving tax-exempt organizations in the parts of Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma more time to file their returns.

The president said this year’s deadly hurricanes add urgency to his tax-cut plan.

The Internal Revenue Service streamlined the rules to make it easier for 401(k)s and similar employer-sponsored retirement plans to make loans and hardship distributions to storm victims and members of their families.

Victims in parts of Florida and other areas have until Jan. 31, 2018, to file some individual and business tax returns and make certain tax payments.

FICPA has created a website to assist accountants in the Sunshine State and line up volunteers and office space for those affected by the storm.