Comptrollers Office Extends Tax Deadline in Counties Affected by Hurricane Damage

Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Most businesses in federally declared disaster areas affected by Hurricane Harvey will be granted a 30-day extension to file August and quarterly sales and use tax reports Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced today. The extension is for taxpayers not required to file electronic tax returns. Taxpayers arent required to report electronically if they paid less than $50000 in sales and use tax in the preceding state fiscal year (Sept. 1 to Aug. 31). Taxpayers who arent required to report electronically but choose to do so will also receive the automatic extension. Taxpayers who are required to report electronically may request an extension. Monthly sales and use tax filers not required to file electronically will have until Oct. 20 to file their August monthly report which is normally due Sept. 20. Those taxpayers therefore will have two monthly reports for August and September due on the same date. Quarterly sales and use tax filers not required to file electronically will have until Nov. 20 to file their July-August-September report normally due Oct. 20. The October-November-December quarterly report remains due on Jan. 20. The Comptrollers office will evaluate whether additional filing periods may be eligible for extensions as due dates approach. Hegar also announced that 2017 franchise tax reports with valid extensions to Nov. 15 will be granted an automatic extension to Jan. 5 for businesses located in counties affected by the hurricane. Businesses located in these federally declared disaster counties do not need to request the extension for their franchise tax reports. For more information or to request a tax filing extension call the Comptrollers toll-free tax assistance line in Austin at 800-252-5555 or go to the Comptrollers website for answers to frequently asked questions.