This extends and expands relief granted previously by the IRS and is available in all the counties and parishes listed below. It applies to any return, tax payment or tax deposit with an original or extended due date that fell on or after Aug. 29, 2005.

The IRS will abate interest and any late filing, late payment or failure to deposit penalties that would otherwise apply. This relief includes the Sept. 15 due date for estimated taxes and for calendar-year corporate returns with automatic extensions; the Oct. 17 deadline for individuals who received a second extension for filing their individual income tax returns; and the Oct. 31 deadline for filing quarterly federal employment and excise tax returns.

To the maximum extent possible, the IRS will automatically grant this relief to any individual or business located in the disaster area. Any disaster area taxpayer who receives a penalty notice from the IRS should call the toll-free number on the notice to receive penalty abatement. In addition, the IRS will work with any taxpayer who resides elsewhere but whose books, records or tax professional are located in the relief area.

In the aftermath of this natural disaster, the IRS assures individuals, businesses and tax professionals that it is working aggressively to monitor the situation and resolve other potential tax administration issues as they are identified.

More information regarding disaster relief is available on the IRS Web site or at the IRS toll-free disaster hotline at (866) 562-5227.

Parishes and counties eligible:

• 64 Louisiana parishes: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Calcasieu, Cameron, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, Desoto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Iberia, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, LaSalle, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Pointe Coupee, Plaquemines, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Landry, St. Mary, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Tensas, Terrebonne, Union, Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, Webster, West Baton Rouge, West Carroll, West Feliciana and Winn;
• 52 Mississippi counties: Adams, Amite, Attala, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Claiborne, Clarke, Clay, Copiah, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Itawamba, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Kemper, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lee, Lincoln, Lowndes, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Rankin, Scott, Simpson, Smith, Stone, Walthall, Warren, Wayne, Webster, Wilkinson, and Winston;
• Six Alabama counties: Baldwin, Clarke, Choctaw, Mobile, Sumter and Washington; and
  Three Florida counties: Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe.