Gov. Greg Abbott asked the U.S. Treasury Department to suspend federal tax deadlines for people and businesses hit by July flooding across 62 Texas counties, including Harris County.
Abbott sent the letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday, Oct. 15, first reported by Fox 26 Houston. The governor requested a temporary halt to federal tax filing and payment deadlines, plus a waiver of penalties, interest and late fees for affected taxpayers.
The request covers all 62 counties named in the state disaster proclamation Abbott signed July 14. That proclamation warned of a threat of widespread property damage, injury and loss of life from heavy rainfall and flash flooding that began July 13. Harris County is among the counties listed.
If Treasury approves the request, Harris County taxpayers, including those in the Spring area, could get extra time to file returns and make payments without facing penalties.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved a major disaster declaration, but those counties were concentrated west, northwest and south of San Antonio, according to Houston Public Media. Fox 26 reported the declaration covered 23 counties; Houston Public Media's account listed 19. Harris County was not among them.
Abbott's letter specifically asks Bessent to extend the tax relief to counties covered by the state proclamation but left out of the federal disaster declaration.
"Texans who took damage from the July storms and floods need this relief," Abbott said in a statement. "I urge Secretary Bessent to suspend the tax deadlines and waive all late fees and penalties so families and businesses can rebuild."
The Treasury Department has not announced whether it will approve the request. The IRS has granted similar disaster tax relief to taxpayers in other states this year, including Alabama, Florida, Ohio and Wisconsin, according to the agency's disaster relief page.
No timeline for a decision has been made public.
