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
Stuart Cobbe

Stuart Cobbe is head of product for audit at Thomson Reuters, where he leads the development of technology for audit professionals. His focus is on providing the most automated end-to-end audit workflow without losing the auditor's judgment and the standards a professional audit requires. Previously, he held product leadership roles at an AI-driven financial analytics company, cofounded a financial reporting startup and built an award-winning analytics team from the ground up at a top 10 UK accountancy practice.

Ashley Jiang of Baker Tilly

Ashley Jiang, CPA, CIPM, is an audit manager, asset management, at Baker Tilly US. She serves clients who manage a wide range of asset classes including equity, traditional fixed income, private placements, and private equity with various investment structures including hedge funds, funds of funds, and master-feeders.

Nikhil Raghuveera is co-Founder and CEO of Predicate. Nikhil is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center, where he has published research on DeFi, stablecoins and central bank digital currencies. Nikhil graduated with an MBA from The Wharton School and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School.

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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