Hurricane Helene Tax Relief for North Carolina Residents – What You Can Claim and When

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, thousands of North Carolina residents and businesses are dealing with storm damage, disrupted income, and financial uncertainty. The IRS and the North Carolina Department of Revenue (NCDOR) have responded by offering extended deadlines and special tax relief to affected taxpayers across the state.

At Polaris Tax & Accounting, we’re helping individuals and business owners throughout Asheville, Charlotte, Lake Norman, and beyond navigate the latest tax updates and get the relief they’re entitled to.

Here’s what you need to know—what’s been extended, what’s deductible, and what you need to act on right now.

✅ Who Qualifies for Hurricane Helene Tax Relief?

The IRS has designated parts of North Carolina as federal disaster areas, which triggers automatic tax relief for residents and businesses in those zones.

📌 View IRS’s official disaster relief announcement

As of now, this includes most major counties impacted by flooding, infrastructure damage, and storm-related loss of income.

If you lived, operated a business, or kept key tax records in an affected area on or after the storm date, you qualify.

Extended IRS Deadlines

The IRS has postponed several key deadlines for affected taxpayers:

This relief is automatic if your address is in a covered disaster area. But if you moved recently or filed using a non-NC address, you must call the IRS to apply manually.

📌 Check your eligibility and details directly from the IRS

What You Can Deduct – Disaster-Related Expenses

Taxpayers affected by Hurricane Helene may be eligible to deduct casualty losses, even if they don’t itemize. This includes:

• Home damage not reimbursed by insurance

• Business equipment loss

• Vehicle loss or flood damage

• Temporary relocation and repair expenses

You can elect to claim these losses on either your 2024 or 2025 tax return—whichever provides a better refund outcome.

📌 See IRS Pub 547 – Casualty, Disaster, and Theft Losses

NC Department of Revenue Relief

The North Carolina Department of Revenue has aligned with the IRS, offering:

• Matching deadline extensions

• Waiver of late filing and payment penalties for eligible returns

• Disaster relief for business franchise and corporate taxes

📌 NC DOR Disaster Relief Page

If you’re unsure whether your NC business qualifies, Polaris can help confirm your eligibility and coordinate with the state.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Waiting until tax season to act
   You’ll miss out on planning opportunities and risk underreporting disaster-related deductions.

2. Not documenting expenses
   Take photos, save receipts, and create a written log. The IRS wants proof—and we help organize it.

3. Missing deadlines for amended filings
   If 2024 was a high-income year, you might benefit from amending to claim disaster losses early.

📌 Need help organizing IRS response strategies? See how we represent taxpayers »

How Polaris Helps NC Taxpayers After a Disaster

We support residents and business owners across the state by:

• Analyzing whether to deduct losses on 2024 or 2025 returns

• Amending past returns to capture new deductions

• Preparing IRS documentation and casualty loss forms

• Filing penalty abatement requests

• Running tax projections to recalibrate estimated payments

We don’t send your case to an outsourced center—we handle it in-house, one-on-one.

Steps You Should Take Now

1. Confirm your eligibility using IRS and NCDOR disaster area lists

2. Document every uninsured loss and expense

3. Request tax transcripts if you’ve already filed

4. Evaluate whether to file now or wait

5. Consult with a licensed professional before taking deductions

📅 Schedule your disaster-related tax review now

Final Thoughts

Disasters bring enough stress. You don’t need the IRS or North Carolina DOR making things harder.

At Polaris Tax & Accounting, we make sure your tax picture reflects what you’ve really been through—whether that means claiming a loss, delaying payments, or filing for penalty relief.

We serve clients across North Carolina—and we’re ready to help you, too.

👉 Schedule your confidential consultation

Let’s make sure you get every dollar you’re entitled to.