Warnock Championed Legislation that Extends Tax Deadline for South Georgia Wildfire Victims

Senator Reverend Warnock, along with Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced the Disaster Related Extension of Deadlines Act back in April 2025, to help disaster victims receive their tax refund by extending the deadline to claim a credit or refund Senator Warnock’s legislation was signed into law in December of 2025 The Internal Revenue Service announced last week that households that reside or have business in Clinch, Echols, and Brantley counties qualify for tax relief Senator Warnock: “I’m proud my bill was signed into law and already in action supporting Georgia wildfire victims.” Washington, D.C. – Legislation championed by U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), alongside Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), is providing some tax relief to those impacted by the South Georgia wildfires that have been ongoing since April 2026. “Families who’ve just lost everything in a fire have a lot on their minds; the IRS shouldn’t be one of those things. That’s why I introduced bipartisan legislation to give victims of natural disasters some much-needed relief. I’m proud my bill was signed into law and already in action supporting Georgia wildfire victims,” said Senator Warnock. “I will continue to advocate for Georgians impacted by the South Georgia wildfires, Hurricane Helene, and other natural disasters.” The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that individuals and businesses in parts of Georgia impacted by wildfires and straight-line winds that began on April 18, 2026, now have until August 20, 2026 to file various federal individual and business tax returns, as well as make tax payments. Individuals and households that reside or have a business in Clinch, Echols and Brantley counties qualify for tax relief, with the same relief extended to any counties that are added later to the disaster area. Taxpayers usually have three years to file a claim for credit or refund of any overpayments of tax. However, until this year, the three-year “lookback period” for paying refunds was not increased even if filing deadlines were postponed following a natural disaster.  As a result, some taxpayers who take advantage of a postponed filing deadline will not be able to obtain a refund. Separately, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is required to demand payment within 60 days of an assessment, even if the payment deadline is postponed. Therefore, the IRS may send letters demanding payments that have been postponed. This creates unnecessary confusion and stress for disaster victims. To ensure that taxpayers impacted by disasters are treated like every other taxpayer when claiming their refunds, the Disaster Related Extension of Deadlines Act : Extends the three-year period for receiving a refund or credit when the IRS extends a filing deadline due to a natural disaster, ensuring that a deadline extension does not give disaster impacted taxpayers a shorter lookback period for claiming a refund; Ensures that the automatic IRS payment deadline is extended to match any disaster-based filing deadline extension. The legislation was signed into law on December 26, 2025. Since the South Georgia wildfires began in April, Senator Warnock has been in constant contact with state and local officials for information about containment and best way to assist those impacted. On April 28, 2026, Senator Warnock joined first responders in Brantley County , where he prayed with firefighters from around Georgia and met with first responders, elected officials, and volunteers. Senator Warnock has continued to secure millions of dollars in federal funding for outstanding payments owed to Georgia counties and entities in the wake of Hurricane Helene. In May, Senator Warnock announced nearly $90 million in new federal funding for outstanding Helene payments to Georgia. ###