IRS postpones deadline for gift and GST taxes due to coronavirus

The Internal Revenue Service is postponing the date for filing gift tax and generation-skipping transfer tax returns and making payments until July 15 because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The Internal Revenue Service is postponing the date for filing gift tax and generation-skipping transfer tax returns and making payments until July 15, 2020, because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The IRS issued Notice 2020-20 on Friday, extending the relief it provided earlier this month on the tax-filing and payment dates for most other types of tax returns. The IRS also said the associated interest, additions to tax, and penalties for late filing or late payment will be suspended for the gift tax and generation-skipping transfer tax until July 15.

CORONAVIRUS IMPACT: ADDITIONAL COVERAGE
Jin Chang

Jin Chang is the CEO and Co-founder of Fieldguide, the leading purpose-built, professional-grade agentic AI platform for audit and advisory firms. A former Big Four practitioner, Jin spent years in the field wrestling with outdated tools and manual workflows - experiences that inspired him to return to the profession as a founder and build the platform he wished he had. Under Jin's leadership, Fieldguide has become the trusted AI partner to nearly half of the top 100 CPA firms, helping firms unlock new capacity, improve quality, and elevate the work of practitioners. Jin's work has been recognized by Accounting Today's Top 100 Most Influential People and CPA Practice Advisor's 20 Under 40 list. Jin speaks regularly on AI, audit innovation, and professional services transformation, bringing a grounded, team-first perspective shaped by his background as a CPA, technologist, and first-generation founder.

Jack Hooper is the CEO and co-founder of Take Command, a Dallas-based SaaS company that offers health reimbursement arrangement administration. Jack is a founding member of the HRA Council and has served as Chairman of the Board. He is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business and has been featured in The New York Times, BenefitsPro, Dallas Morning News, Bloomberg, and more. His motto? "Health insurance was never meant to be this complicated."

The relief is automatic and applies to any amounts due related to these types of returns. There’s no requirement to file for an extension and the three-month period between the original due date of April 15 and the new deadline of July 15 will be disregarded in terms of any interest, penalties or extra taxes for those who fail to file a Form 709 United States Gift and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Return by April 15.

Groups of tax and accounting professionals such as the American Institute of CPAs, the National Society of Accountants and the National Conference of CPA Practitioners have been pressing the IRS to provide additional forms of tax relief beyond the initial relief granted for tax payments from coronavirus victims.

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The IRS headquarters building in Washington, D.C.
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