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.
Mark Bishopp is the senior vice president of embedded commerce and partnerships at Fortis, an integrated commerce platform. A payment technology industry leader with over 25 years of financial services experience, Bishopp joined Fortis in 2022. He has held a number of payments-related executive positions and has been a trusted advisor and consultant in third party payments (marketplaces, payment facilitation, ISO, ISV/VAR, etc.) for 15-plus years. He is a global SME in online payments with a specific focus on payments as a strategic asset solutions.
Brandi Riggle, Manager, Baker Tilly Digital Solutions
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.
