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.

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Adam Lean is the CEO and co-founder of The CFO Project, a training company that trains accountants, bookkeepers, CPAs and Enrolled Agents to offer an outsourced CFO/advisory service.

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Nick Petschek

As managing director and lead of Kotter's European practice, Nick Petschek draws on his wide skill set to help organizations formulate and achieve their strategy and culture goals. Nick aids clients in surfacing the delta between organizational aspirations and reality, closing that gap together. His career journey has been one of constant curiosity and learning. From the awe-inspiring circus to the nimble world of unicorn startups, to the process-oriented United Nations, he has tackled challenges related to telling a compelling story and envisioning a new future, scaling, sustainability, and culture transformation. His clients have ranged in size and industry, with a focus on technology and government.

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Jeremy Bilsky is the senior director and general manager at Advance Partners, a Paychex subsidiary that provides payroll funding to staffing firms. He has direct leadership responsibility for the Advance Partners business unit, leading the senior management team and all related functional areas. He has been with Advance Partners for over 20 years in many capacities.

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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