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Advocacy Alert: Major disaster declared in 15 Florida counties impacted by Isaias

October 29, 2026

By FICPA Governmental Affairs

President Donald Trump on Tuesday approved a major disaster declaration for 15 Florida counties impacted by Hurricane Isaias: Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Liberty, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla, Walton and Washington.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday updated its Isaias disaster hub, naming the 15 counties above as qualifying for Public Assistance.

As a reminder, President Trump in September signed into law the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act (H.R 5366). The bill extends the federal tax deduction for qualified disaster-related personal casualty losses by defining a qualified disaster area as an area with respect to which a major disaster has been declared if the incident period begins on or after Dec. 28, 2019, and before Jan. 1, 2027.

To aid our members in assisting their clients, the FICPA is hosting a free webinar from 3-4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10. Disaster relief expert Jerry Schreiber will:

  • Outline current filing and payment relief available to taxpayers affected by Hurricane Isaias in Florida and Alabama.
  • Review recent IRM updates and procedural changes related to disaster relief.
  • Explain key provisions of the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act and their practical impact.
  • And identify state-specific tax issues and other state considerations affecting disaster-impacted clients.

Prior to the major disaster declaration, the FICPA was successful in securing both federal and state tax-filing relief for 27 counties impacted by Isaias. 

On Oct. 14, the Internal Revenue Service when the IRS announced an extension to Feb. 8, 2027, for affected taxpayers in Baker, Bay, Calhoun, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Suwannee, Taylor, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington counties.

The IRS announcement was promptly followed by another from the Florida Department of Revenue (DOR), which granted a Corporate Income Tax extension for those same 27 counties through Feb. 23, 2027, 15 days after the federal deadline.