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.
Jennifer Sumiec is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Employee Assistance Professional and has a Master’s degree in Health Psychology. She is a seasoned Employee Assistance professional with 20 years of experience working for Empathia. and as an independent consultant. Empathia has been helping organizations and individuals to be their best for over 35 years. The company began in 1982 as an internal employee assistance program (EAP) for a regional medical center and now provides highly customized and successful behavioral health, student support and crisis management programs to companies across the globe. For more information, visit www.empathia.com.
Ray Baumruk is vice president of employee experience research & insights at Alight Solutions.
Bill Santos is president and COO of Cerberus Sentinel.
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.



