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.
Ryan Davis is a Senior Manager, Assurance, at BPM LLP in San Francisco. He has over 10 years of public accounting experience, serving both public and private companies in a variety of industries. Ryan is well versed in the financial services industry where he has served alternative investment, marketplace lending and broker-dealer companies, and also provides audit and consultation services on all types of employee benefit plans.
Michael Delehanty is president of the Community Home Lenders Association and chief financial officer of Mountain West Financial, based in Redlands, Calif.
The move is part of the effort by banks and other companies to promote racial equity and be more sensitive to the stresses on front-line employees.
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.
