President Donald Trump signed the Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act, sponsored by U.S. Representative David Kustoff (R-TN-08) and U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), into law last week.
The Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to make it easier for taxpayers to receive deadline extensions from the IRS in the aftermath of natural disasters.
The bill authorizes the U.S. Department of the Treasury, after consulting with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to postpone tax filing and payment deadlines to impacted taxpayers as soon as the governor of a state declares a disaster or state of emergency.
🚨🇺🇸 My bill, H.R. 517 — the Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act — is now LAW! @POTUS just signed this critical legislation, which will provide much-needed tax filing relief for families and businesses affected by natural disasters. This new law gives disaster victims the… pic.twitter.com/3pRSDRrU6Y
— Rep. David Kustoff (@RepDavidKustoff) July 24, 2025
Previously, the IRS could only postpone federal tax filing and payment deadlines when the federal government had officially declared a disaster
In addition to expanding who can request tax deadline relief, the bill also extends the length of time the IRS can postpone tax deadlines for disaster victims from 60 days to 120 days.
Kustoff, who was present in the Oval Office as Trump signed the Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act into law, thanked the president for approving his legislation.
“This new law provides critical relief for all Americans when tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, flooding and other calamities affect communities across the nation. When disaster strikes, the last thing families and businesses should have to worry about is missing a tax deadline or paying Uncle Sam. The Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act will ensure that these victims have the flexibility they need to rebuild and recover,” Kustoff said.
Blackburn, who was among a group of bipartisan lawmakers that sponsored the bill in the Senate, added in a statement, “The last thing Tennesseans should have to worry about when a natural disaster like Hurricane Helene strikes is meeting a tax-filing deadline.”
“Now that President Trump has signed our bipartisan Tax Relief for Natural Disasters Act into law, Americans impacted by natural disasters will have the flexibility to focus on recovery, not tax paperwork,” Blackburn added.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
