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.
Robert Feyer is a Senior Counsel in the Public Finance Department of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP�s San Francisco office, with more than 37 years of experience representing issuers and underwriters of municipal bonds.� For most of this time Mr. Feyer has been the senior bond and disclosure counsel for the State of California, the largest issuer of municipal debt in the U.S.� Mr. Feyer is a frequent panelist on municipal finance and disclosure matters, including the Bond Buyer�s recent Webinar on the SEC Municipalities Continuing Disclosure Cooperation initiative.� Mr. Feyer is a member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers (Securities Law Committee) and the American College of Bond Counsel.
Beth Stackpole is an independent business and technology writer.
Ashley Folkes is a CFP and the senior vice president of investments with the wealth management firm Moors & Cabot in Phoenix.
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.


