Hit by winter storms in Washington state? See if you qualify for tax relief
Severe storms have hammered much of Western Washington this winter, damaging homes, businesses, roads and more.
As of mid-February, Washington state had suffered an estimated $182.3 million in public infrastructure damage, the most in more than 40 years, according to Gov. Bob Ferguson.
“The scale, duration and severity of this disaster overwhelmed local and state response capabilities,” Ferguson said in a Jan. 21 news release. “Thousands of families experienced devastating loss.”
In Washington state, folks affected by flooding, high winds and landslides may qualify for a tax filing extension.
Here’s who qualifies:
When do I have to file my 2025 taxes?
In Washington state, the deadline to file both state and federal income tax returns for the 2025 tax year is Wednesday, April 15.
How can I get a tax filing extension?
Need more time? You can request a six-month filing extension, but you’ll still need to pay any taxes you owe by the April deadline to avoid penalties and interest.
You can pay your tax balance now or schedule payments online up to a year in advance, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
According to the Washington State Department of Revue, you can also qualify for a tax filing extension if you experienced:
- Computer system failure
- Lost, destroyed or stolen business records
- Medical emergency
- Computer system problems that prevented an online return from being filed
Who qualifies for disaster tax relief in Washington?
The IRS is providing disaster tax relief for people and businesses in Washington state “affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides” that began in early December, the agency said.
Those taxpayers now have until Friday, May 1, to file federal tax returns and make tax payments, the IRS said.
That’s more than two extra weeks to get your taxes in order.
Eligible taxpayers impacted by flooding will also have until May 1 to make 2025 contributions to IRAs and health savings accounts, according to the IRS.
Live in one of these counties? You can file your returns later
According to the IRS, these Washington counties qualify for storm-related tax relief:
- Benton
- Chelan
- Clallam
- Grays Harbor
- Jefferson
- King
- Kittitas
- Lewis
- Mason
- Pierce
- Samish
- Skagit
- Snohomish
- Thurston
- Wahkiakum
- Whatcom
- Yakima
Do I have to apply for flood tax relief?
The IRS said Washington state residents living in the affected areas will automatically get tax relief.
If you or your business were impacted by winter storms but are outside the designated counties, you can call the IRS disaster hotline toll-free at 866-562-5227 to request tax relief.
“Taxpayers who do not qualify for disaster tax relief may qualify for reasonable cause penalty abatement,” the IRS said.