(CBS) – The Internal Revenue Service has decided to cut taxpayers in certain New Jersey counties a break in filing their taxes and quarterly payments, because of Hurricane Irene.

IRS spokesman Dave Stewart says the IRS has decided, because of storm damage, to postpone to October 31st certain tax filings and payment deadlines for businesses as well as individuals.

“It includes corporations and businesses that previously obtained an extension until September 15th to file their 2010 returns,” Stewart explains, “so they’re going to get an extension, and individuals and businesses that received a similar extension until October 17th.”

Stewart says the extension also includes tax payments for the third quarter, which are generally due by September 15th.

He says that while only certain New Jersey counties are affected now, the IRS is expected to widen the number of counties affected to possibly include flood-damaged areas of Pennsylvania and Delaware hit by Irene.

Stewart says the IRS was still waiting for damage assessments from the Federal Emergency Management Agency before making those decisions.

For more details, go to www.irs.gov.
Reported by Mark Abrams, KYW Newsradio 1060