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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Brett Miller is chief financial officer at Restaurant365, where he is responsible for financial and strategic functions including accounting, audit, treasury, corporate finance and corporate strategy. He also leads all IT-related activities. Prior to joining R365, he led the M&A and global strategy teams for a Fortune 500 manufacturing company. He received his CPA license while a member of the transaction services team at KPMG.

Dr. Wayne Jenkins is an accomplished physician and executive with a proven track record of patient-centered, revenue-driven results. Over the course of his career, he's consistently transformed large, complex healthcare systems into market leaders that deliver quality and value in a dynamically changing environment. Prior to Centivo, he was the Chief Clinical Officer for Population Health at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he provided clinical oversight of value-based care delivery and completed the formation of Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). Before his time at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, he served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of Orlando Health, as well as President of Orlando Health Physician Partners. Previously, Wayne was the chief of radiation oncology and then subsequently the medical director for the Florida affiliate of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, a subsidiary of Orlando Health, Inc. Wayne holds a BA from the University of Tennessee, an MD from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and a Master's of Health Policy and Administration from Johns Hopkins University. He is board-certified in radiation oncology and was recognized in Best Doctors in America annually from 1994 to 2015. He's published 18 scientific articles and is often sought out to speak at state and national conferences.

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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