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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Cathy Iconis

Cathy Iconis is a CPA based in Atlanta, GA. She has had her own bookkeeping practice for almost 10 years and is also the founder of QBOchat, a resource, and community for QuickBooks Online users. She has been named a 40 Under 40 CPA Practice Advisor Honoree 8 times, is a member of Intuit’s Trainer-Writer Network, and was named one of Accounting Today’s Accountants to Watch. She has recently launched her own QuickBooks Online Training Master Courses as well as a free Facebook Group, Build Your Best QBO Practice.

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Alex Nadal is assistant general counsel and human resources consultant at Engage PEO.

Michael Kaplan is chief revenue officer and senior vice president at PayNearMe.

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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