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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Josh Lance is a licensed CPA, CGMA, and ProAdvisor for Intuit in Chicago. Before venturing on his own with a mission to help small businesses at Lance CPA Group, Josh spent his early career at a top 10 national public accounting firm and worked at an ultra-high net worth family office. Josh is also an adjunct professor at Northwestern University. He was previously selected to the 2017 class of the AICPA Leadership Academy and was named one of the "40 under 40" in 2017 by CPA Practice Advisor. Find Josh on Twitter @lancejd1.

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Vice President, Data Science at One Drop

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Vice President, Clinical Operations at One Drop

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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