The Internal Revenue Service is postponing the date for filing gift tax and generation-skipping transfer tax returns and making payments until July 15, 2020, because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The IRS issued Notice 2020-20 on Friday, extending the relief it provided earlier this month on the tax-filing and payment dates for most other types of tax returns. The IRS also said the associated interest, additions to tax, and penalties for late filing or late payment will be suspended for the gift tax and generation-skipping transfer tax until July 15.
Lewis Rinaudo Cohen is the co-chair of the digital assets and emerging technology practice group at Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP, known as CahillNXT, which focuses on the use of blockchain, crypto assets and tokenization across all aspects of capital markets and all areas of economic activity. Lewis is a frequent public speaker on the topic of blockchain and the financial markets, and has been included for many years as a "Band 1" practitioner by leading independent firm Chambers and Partners USA.
Jason Rozovsky is head of legal at Interop Labs, the initial developer of the Axelar network, the Web3 interoperability platform. Jason has worked in the blockchain space for nearly a decade, having previously been global legal lead for blockchain at Accenture and assistant general counsel at R3, an enterprise blockchain company.
Alice Grey Harrison is managing partner of AGH Consulting Group.
The relief is automatic and applies to any amounts due related to these types of returns. There’s no requirement to file for an extension and the three-month period between the original due date of April 15 and the new deadline of July 15 will be disregarded in terms of any interest, penalties or extra taxes for those who fail to file a Form 709 United States Gift and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Return by April 15.
Groups of tax and accounting professionals such as the American Institute of CPAs, the National Society of Accountants and the National Conference of CPA Practitioners have been pressing the IRS to provide additional forms of tax relief beyond the initial relief granted for tax payments from coronavirus victims.
