Individuals and businesses in 51 out of 58 California counties, including Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura, have until Oct. 16, to file state and federal taxes.

The deadline for the rest of the country remains Tuesday, April 18 since this year April 15 falls on a Sunday and April 16 is Emancipation Day in Washington D.C.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declared most of California a disaster area due to severe winter storms that caused historic flooding and mudslides throughout the state.

Following FEMA’s declaration, the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued several directives – on Jan. 10, along with updates on Jan. 11 and Feb. 23 – stating that tax filing for impacted regions would be postponed until Oct. 16.

On March 2, the Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom released a statement that the deadline for individuals and businesses to file state taxes would also be extended to Oct. 16 to align with the federal deadline.

Individuals and business owners covered by the extension can file their taxes online or postmark their documents at any time before 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 16.

“The extension is automatic,” June Fukuhara, Supervised Registered Tax Preparer for H&R Block in Torrance, said. There is no need to file for an extension with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or the California Franchise Tax Board, she added.

Residents and businesses who sustained damages or losses due to the storms can also claim a state tax deduction.