Hawai‘i Congressional Delegation urges IRS to extend federal tax filing deadline for those impacted by Maui wildfires

U.S. Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) led the Hawai‘i Congressional delegation in urging the Internal Revenue Service Commissioner, Danny Werfel, to extend the 2023 federal tax filing and payment deadlines for individuals and businesses impacted by the Maui wildfires.

“As these members of our community continue to process trauma, experience displacement, and assess the damage from the wildfires, we ask for your assistance in making sure individuals and businesses have enough time to file their taxes and make payments for the 2023 tax season,” wrote the lawmakers in a letter to the IRS today.

In the letter — also signed by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-HI), and Rep. Ed Case (D-HI) —the lawmakers highlight the ongoing challenges those impacted by the wildfires continue to face. They note that thousands of survivors are still housed in short-term accommodations, such as hotels, and must continue to work with insurance and mortgage companies to assess the economic impacts of the wildfires.

“In the wake of the wildfires, survivors received federal, state, county, and community disaster assistance to provide them with initial relief to meet their basic needs,” continued the lawmakers. “It will likely take individuals additional time to evaluate the tax liabilities of various types of disaster assistance they received last year. And on top of that, survivors are still processing the loss of loved ones, neighbors, and other members of their communities and the physical devastation that has completely altered the course of their lives.”

The full text of the letter is available here and below.