Federal, state tax deadline extended to Nov. 16 for most Californians

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- If you haven't filed your taxes, don't panic. There's now a new deadline to give you more time.

The IRS along with the California Franchise Tax Board announced most Californians now have until Nov. 16 to file and pay their 2022 taxes.

On Monday, the IRS announced that taxpayers affected by winter natural disasters in 55 California counties qualify for an extension to file and pay their 2022 federal income taxes until that day.

The state said it usually conforms to IRS postponement periods for presidentially declared disasters.

How do I claim a deduction for a disaster loss?

You can claim a disaster loss two different ways. First, you can claim the disaster loss for the 2023 tax year when you file your return next spring, or you may claim the loss against 2022 income on this year's return.

An amended return may be filed by those who already have filed this year, the FTB says. The advantage of claiming the disaster loss on a 2022 return, according to FTB, is they can issue a refund sooner.

Helpful tips

The FTB says you should write the name of the disaster (for example, California winter storms) in blue or black ink at the top of your tax return to alert them. If you're filing electronically, you should follow the instructions to enter disaster information.

If you get a late filing or late payment penalty notice related to the postponement period, call the number on the notice to have the penalty abated.

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