Lawmakers Urge Swift Passage of Hurricane, Wildfire Tax Relief

House Republicans and Democrats are pushing their colleagues to provide tax relief for Americans recovering from hurricanes, wildfires, and the Ohio train derailment, as some taxpayers run up against an Oct. 15 deadline.

Lawmakers over the past year have introduced bills that would provide special tax treatment or allow exemptions relating to disaster aid and expenses incurred due to presidentially declared natural disasters. While the IRS allowed many taxpayers impacted by disasters to delay filing their tax returns until Oct. 15, that deadline is fast approaching and Congress, amid a looming government shutdown, doesn’t have plans to take up the ...