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

A Bentley University graduate, Garrett Stenhouse is a CPA and a Manager in the A&A department at DiSanto, Priest & Co. in Rhode Island. With 9+ years of experience, Garrett specializes in auditing manufacturers and in audits involving precious metals. He is a member of both the AICPA and RISCPA, and in 2018 was a graduate of the AICPA’s Leadership Academy.

Carl Mayes is the Senior Technical Manager – Special Projects on the Public Practice and Global Alliances team at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He is responsible for managing practice quality initiatives for the AICPA including regulator quality studies, practice monitoring and various technical and regulatory-focused projects. He is the project manager for the AICPA’s Enhancing Audit Quality initiative and manages the execution of the AICPA’s 6-Point Plan to Improve Audits.

Prior to joining the Public Practice and Global Alliances team, Mayes helped perform market research, develop the business plan and identify the membership model for the AICPA Not-for-Profit Section.

Patrick Tokarski is a Product Manager for the Accounting and Audit Solutions. He has been with Wolters Kluwer since 2016. Prior to joining the product management team, he worked as an A&A Software Consultant helping firms become more productive by conducting training and consulting on various CCH® ProSystem fx® products including Engagement, Knowledge Coach and TeamMate Analytics® among others. Patrick also delivers multiple CCH® Learning and Development Academy School of Audit programs such as Knowledge-Based Audit (KBA) Methodology and role-based programs.

Patrick is a CPA and worked in public accounting as an auditor for seven years. In addition, he spent 8 years in the professional standards group of a national firm. He has also worked in private industry accounting as a controller and consultant helping to implement software and process changes.

Patrick received his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. Patrick currently resides in Madison, Wisconsin.

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.

IRS-Building-light
The IRS headquarters building in Washington, D.C.
Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg