Gov. Greg Abbott asked the U.S. Treasury Department to suspend federal tax deadlines and waive penalties for flood victims in 62 Texas counties, including Galveston County.
Abbott sent the letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday, Oct. 15. The request covers homeowners and businesses affected by severe storms and flooding that began July 14, as first reported by Fox 26 Houston.
The request matters for League City.
Galveston County was covered by Abbott's July 14 state disaster proclamation after heavy rainfall and flash flooding caused widespread property damage, injuries and loss of life. But the county was not among the 23 counties that received a major disaster declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Sept. 1. That left Galveston County residents with fewer avenues for federal assistance.
Abbott's letter asks for temporary suspension of federal tax filing and payment deadlines, according to a press release from the governor's office. Fox 26 reported the request also seeks a waiver of related penalties, interest and late fees. The relief would cover taxpayers in all 62 counties under the state proclamation, not just the 23 that received the FEMA declaration.
"Texans who took damage from the July storms and floods need this relief," Abbott said. "I urge Secretary Bessent to suspend the tax deadlines and waive all late fees and penalties so families and businesses can rebuild."
That distinction between the state proclamation and the federal declaration is the gap Abbott is trying to close. If Treasury approves the request, taxpayers in counties like Galveston would get the same filing extensions and penalty waivers as residents in the FEMA-declared counties.
The governor issued the state disaster proclamation on July 14 after severe storms beginning July 13 brought flash flooding to a wide swath of Texas. The proclamation named 62 counties stretching from the Gulf Coast to West Texas.
FEMA's Sept. 1 major disaster declaration covered a smaller footprint. A Sept. 25 update from the governor's office added four more counties to FEMA's Public Assistance program but did not expand the list to include Galveston County. A separate request for FEMA's Individual Assistance program covering 30 counties remained pending as of that update.
The U.S. Treasury Department has not announced whether it will approve Abbott's tax relief request.
