SCHUMER: NEW YORKERS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR TAX DEDUCTIONS FROM SANDY STORM DAMAGE, BUT MANY DONT KNOW IT; CALLS FOR ADDITIONAL IRS ASSISTANCE CENTERS ACROSS NEW YORK CITY AND LONG ISLAND RIGHT NOW MANY IMPACTED NEIGHBORHOODS ARE NOT RECEIVING ASSISTANCE

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today called on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to provide additional Sandy services for taxpayers in areas that were seriously impacted by the storm  In response to questions about tax treatment of Sandy payments or losses, the IRS has created special assistance hours and a Saturday Open House to taxpayers . The locations for these services are currently in neighborhoods that were not necessarily impacted by the storm. Schumer today called on the IRS to provide these Sandyservices to taxpayers living in neighborhoods including, but not limited to,  the Rockaways, Gerritsen Beach, Coney Island,  the North Shore of Staten Island, Island Park, Massapequa, Mastic Beach and Lindenhurst so that the residents who were impacted by the storm can easily commute to the IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers.

 

"Home and business owners impacted by Sandy can get some relief through the tax code, but far too few actually know how," said Schumer.  "The IRS has the right idea in providing these services at their taxpayer assistance centers, but these services should be located in the hardest hit neighborhoods to maximize the benefit."

 

Many New Yorkers are eligible for tax deductions based on their itemized losses due to Superstorm Sandy. In order to help affected residents better understand this process, the IRS has extended hours and added a Saturday Open House at their Taxpayer Assistance Centers. Services provided will include assistance with IRS Notices, tax debt, tax liens help with current year tax return preparation, and more. Individuals will have the opportunity to work directly with IRS personnel and ask questions about the tax treatment of Sandy payments or losses.

 

Schumer today called on the IRS to make sure these services are readily available to residents who were seriously impacted by the storm and to add these services in neighborhoods like the Rockaways, Coney Island, Gerritsen Beach, Staten Island, Island Park, Mastic Beach, Massapequa and Lindenhurst. Schumer commended the IRS for making these services available, however, noted that many individuals are still feeling the hardships incurred by the storm and cannot easily commute a far distance to access these taxpayer services. Schumer explained that on Long Island, there is currently only one center available and it could take an individual from Suffolk County hours to access that site. Schumer made the case there should be more centers and these centers should be in areas seriously impacted by the storm.

 

Below is a list of the current services offered by the IRS:

Extended Hours:

The following locations will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during the month of February:

New York

Brooklyn -  2 Metro Tech Center, 100 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn 11201

Bronx - 1200 Waters Place, Bronx 10461

Bethpage - 999 Stewart Avenue, Bethpage 11714

Harlem - 2283 Third Avenue, NY 10035

Downtown Manhattan - 290 Broadway, New York 10007

Queens - 5917 Junction Boulevard, Rego Park 11368

Midtown Manhattan - 110 West 44 ^th Street New York 10035

Saturday February 23 ^rd Special Assistance Open House:

The Special Assistance Open House will be held on Saturday, February 23rd from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the following locations.

New York

Brooklyn -  2 Metro Tech Center, 100 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn 11201

Queens - 5917 Junction Boulevard, Rego Park 11368

Downtown Manhattan - 290 Broadway, New York 10007

Bethpage - 999 Stewart Avenue, Bethpage 11714

Midtown Manhattan - 110 West 44 ^th Street New York 10035

 

A copy of Schumer's letter can be found below:

 

Dear Commissioner Schulman,

 

I write today to urge you to expand tax counseling services for New Yorkers impacted by Superstorm Sandy. Tax season will be made even more complicated for these taxpayers due to the losses they experienced during the storm and Sandy victims need as much help as possible to recoup these losses.

 

I was happy to see that the IRS will be holding assistance workshops, however the assistance sites set up by the Internal Revenue Service are not situated conveniently for many of the communities hardest hit by Sandy. Neighborhoods such as, but not limited to, the Rockaways, Gerritsen Beach, Coney Island the North Shore of Staten Island, Island Park, Massapequa, Mastic Beach and Lindenhurst were devastated by the storm and will certainly need not only as much tax advice as possible, but also the ability to access this assistance without long commutes. Many victims are still feeling the hardships incurred by the storm and cannot easily commute a far distance to access these taxpayer services.

 

I hope that the Internal Revenue Service will expand this valuable resource for Sandy victims and will do so in a manner which will help the largest number of people most affected by the storm.  Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to working with you to make sure that all Sandy victims, in particular those in areas with the most need, receive the tax assistance they deserve.

 

Sincerely,

 

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer