FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	Contact: Beth Boustead, Public Information Specialist, 701.328.3039
Thursday, April 2, 2009

Tax Department Extends April 15 Tax Filing Deadline

BISMARCK, N.D. – Tax Commissioner Cory Fong announced today that individual income taxpayers affected by the spring flooding have extra time to file their state and federal individual income tax returns. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) extended the April 15 filing deadline to May 15, 2009, for taxpayers in 34 counties and two Indian Reservations.

Because the IRS granted an extension of filing and payment deadlines for federal tax purposes, the state Tax Department automatically recognizes the federal extension for North Dakota tax purposes.

“So many of our citizens’ lives have been disrupted by this historic flooding and they need to be able to focus on getting their lives back to normal,” said Fong. “North Dakota automatically honors the IRS extension for state tax purposes. We hope that this extension will ease some of the stress during this time of hardship.”

The relief applies to the following counties and Indian Reservations in North Dakota:

Adams, Barnes, Benson, Billings, Burleigh, Cass, Cavalier, Dickey, Dunn, Emmons, Foster, Grand Forks, Grant, Hettinger, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Nelson, Oliver, Pembina, Ramsey, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Sioux, Stark, Stutsman, Walsh, and Williams counties, and Standing Rock and Spirit Lake Indian reservations.

Taxpayers and relief workers directly impacted by the flooding will have until midnight May 15 to file and make payments associated with their 2008 federal and state individual tax returns without incurring late filing or payment fees and interest. Taxpayers should enter “severe storms, flooding” on the front of their federal and state returns.

Affected taxpayers with a remaining tax payment due on or before April 15, 2009 also receive an extension to make the payment until May 15, 2009.

Fong said, “The Tax Department is doing everything it can to prevent certain notices from being sent to taxpayers, however in the case where a taxpayer who was affected by the flooding does receive a notice, they should contact the department at the phone number provided on the notice and ask for the penalties and interest to be removed.”

Taxpayers who lost their records or their records were damaged by the flood may request copies of their state tax returns from the Tax Department. The department keeps copies of tax returns for three years. To receive copies of state tax returns, taxpayers should submit a Request for Copies of Tax Returns form available on the department’s web site, www.nd.gov/tax, or contact the department at 701.328.1243.

Individuals and businesses with questions or concerns about filing and paying their North Dakota taxes should visit the Tax Department’s web site at www.nd.gov/tax or call the Office of State Tax Commissioner at 701.328.7088 (and select option 5).

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