Governor Offers Waiver of Penalties and Taxes in Damaged Areas of Christian County

Gov. Bruce Rauner announced today that individuals and businesses devastated by tornadoes and severe weather in parts of Christian County on Dec. 1, 2018, may request waivers of penalties and interest on state taxes if they cannot file their returns or make payments on time. The waivers apply to individual and business income taxes, withholding taxes, sales taxes, and specialty and excise taxes. 
 
“Families and businesses affected by the storms may need additional time to gather essential paperwork to file and pay their taxes,” Rauner said. “The waivers help give taxpayers the time they need to recover and get their affairs in order. This is another way we can help them deal with the destruction caused by the storms.”
 
Taxpayers seeking waivers of penalties and interest for taxes should send a brief written explanation of why they cannot timely file or pay to the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR). Taxpayers should provide their full name, account number (if using a Social Security number, include only the last four digits), mailing address, and an estimate of when they believe they can file or pay their taxes.  
 
Requests may be sent electronically to REV.DisasterRelief@Illinois.gov or via postal mail using the address on the return. Taxpayers who mail their request to IDOR should write Tornado – December 2018 on the top of the return in red and include their explanation for penalties and interest abatement request.