Gov. Pillen Announces IRS Tax Relief for Fire and Storm Impacted Residents/Businesses

LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen has announced the approved postponement of tax filings and payments for individuals and businesses in parts of Nebraska that were impacted by wildfires and storms beginning on March 12, 2026. The issuance of tax relief by the IRS applies to five separate state disaster declarations. As a result, affected individuals and businesses now have until Feb. 1, 2027 to file returns and pay any taxes that were originally due during that time.

Gov. Pillen requested tax relief from the IRS under newly passed federal legislation that allows the IRS to grant tax relief based on a governor’s declared disaster or state emergency, rather than waiting for a federal disaster declaration, which can take longer for review and approval. Under the legislation, a qualified state-declared disaster is any natural catastrophe, fire, flood, or explosion that causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant a request to postpone such federal tax deadlines. This is the first time Nebraska has made and received tax relief from the IRS under the new law.

“When a disaster strikes, surviving the immediate aftermath takes priority. Undoubtedly, this year has weighed heavily on those who experienced losses and or damage resulting from the fires and storms that happened just months ago,” said Gov. Pillen. “This determination from the IRS will hopefully provide a little respite to Nebraskans in those counties who were affected, by allowing them the time to meet their tax obligations without incurring additional penalties.”

The five state-declared disasters and current list of counties include:
March Wildfire Declaration: Morrill, Garden, Arthur, Keith, Grant, Lincoln, Dawson, Frontier, Saunders, Red Willow
Pressey Wildfire: Custer
May Severe Storms: Buffalo, Fillmore, Gage, Howard, Jefferson, Nemaha, Richardson, Thayer, Thurston
May Wildfires: Dawes
June Wildfires: Sioux

Should additional counties be added to the declared disasters above, residents and businesses in those counties will also be eligible to postpone filings and payments until Feb. 1. Additionally, if a resident or business receives a late filing or late payment penalty notice that falls withing the defined postponement period, the taxpayer should call the number on the notice to have the IRS abate the penalty.

The IRS has published additional information pertaining to each of the five declared disasters on its website: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/around-the-nation-nebraska.