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.
Geoff Bruskin leads the recruiting practice at StangerCarlson LLC. Reach him at geoff@stangercarlson.com or (914) 494-7358.
Drew Hermiller is an associate at Nelson Mullins in Charleston, South Carolina. Hermiller practices with the tax and benefits group and has experience counseling clients on complex domestic and cross-border transactional tax matters. He can be reached at drew.hermiller@nelsonmullins.com or (843) 534-4125.
C. Wells Hall, III is a partner at Nelson Mullins in Charlotte, North Carolina. Hall advises clients on the federal, state and multi-tax aspects of acquisitions, reorganizations, restructuring of business entities, and private equity transactions and estate and gift tax planning in connection with such transactions. He can be reached at wells.hall@nelsonmullins.com or (704) 417-3206.
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.
