OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Floridians impacted by wildfires, hurricanes, floods, or tornadoes over the past year may be eligible for automatic tax extensions and special deductions from the IRS. These benefits apply to individuals and small businesses dealing with property damage, lost income, or other financial setbacks due to natural disasters.

The standard federal tax filing deadline is Tuesday, but disaster survivors are given extra time to file and may be able to reduce their overall tax burden by claiming certain losses.

“It can feel really daunting and overwhelming, after you’ve already lost your home or your vehicle, to tackle that project [of loss write-off],” said Alison Flores, manager at the Tax Institute for H&R Block. “It can take time and a lot of energy. We see people be hesitant to tackle that, and so they leave that loss on the table.”

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Tax professionals urge filers not to overlook these deductions, which can make a meaningful difference during recovery.

But with tax season also comes an increase in scam attempts, especially targeting disaster victims.

“Scammers often pose as representatives of the IRS or FEMA to exploit victims of disasters,” said Misty Erickson of the National Association of Tax Professionals. “Common scams include false promises of tax refunds, fake charities soliciting donations, and phishing attempts requesting personal or financial information.”

Experts recommend verifying any communication claiming to be from a government agency and reporting suspicious activity immediately.

For more information about IRS disaster relief and to check eligibility, visit IRS.gov.

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