Great Lakes Wire

State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks has announced that taxpayers in northern Michigan impacted by severe winter weather can apply for state tax relief. The relief aims to assist individuals and businesses in coping with disruptions caused by recent ice storms.

Predominantly, this applies to residents and businesses in the counties of Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Mackinac, Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego, and Presque Isle. Affected taxpayers have the opportunity to request extensions for filing state tax returns and making payments without incurring penalties or interest.

This decision follows the declaration of a state of emergency by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, aimed at supporting recovery efforts for communities lacking power and essential services. State Treasurer Eubanks stated, “A natural disaster can be devastating both personally and financially. By providing additional time to file tax returns or meet certain other payment deadlines, individuals and businesses will have more time to focus on recovering and getting their lives back to a sense of normalcy. Affected taxpayers should reach out to us to learn more about the process for obtaining this relief.”

Those seeking tax relief must formally request it. Taxpayers can submit their requests through the Treasury's eService, mailing them via the U.S. Postal Service, or by phone. It is necessary for requests to include: the taxpayer's name and account number, a description of the impact from the winter weather, and an address in the emergency area.

Online relief submission can be conducted through the Individual Income Tax eService and Business Taxes eService. Physical submissions should be addressed to:

Michigan Department of Treasury

Attn: Disaster Tax Relief

Lansing, Michigan 48922

For inquiries, individuals can call 517-636-4486 for income tax relief and 517-636-6925 for business tax concerns.

Taxpayers in the affected area who receive preliminary assessment notices prior to their relief request are advised to contact Treasury by phone for assistance. Further information about the types of available tax relief is detailed in a Treasury-issued Taxpayer Notice. Additionally, taxpayers should consult the Internal Revenue Service for federal relief options.

For ongoing information related to this tax relief, updates are available at www.michigan.gov/taxes.