The IRS has extended the filing and payment deadlines for federal individual and business tax returns for taxpayers in much of California, and parts of Alabama and Georgia, until Oct. 16.

The extension was announced in response to severe weather in those states. It represents a further extension from the May 15 deadlines that the IRS had announced for certain counties in California in response to rain and flooding.

The recent announcement was in response to severe weather, such as blizzards in southern California, and severe storms and tornadoes in Alabama and Georgia. The extension applies to individuals and households that reside or have a business in the in any area designated as a disaster area by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in these three states.

The IRS’s Disaster Assistance and Emergency Relief for Individuals and Businesses page has details on other returns, payments and tax-related actions qualifying for the additional time.

“The IRS automatically provides filing and penalty relief to any taxpayer with an IRS address of record located in the disaster area. Therefore, taxpayers do not need to contact the agency to get this relief,” it said. But any affected taxpayer who receives a late filing or late payment penalty notice from the IRS that has an original or extended filing, payment or deposit due date falling within the postponement period should call the number on the notice to have the penalty abated, it said.

The IRS also said that it “will work with any taxpayer who lives outside the disaster area but whose records necessary to meet a deadline occurring during the postponement period are located in the affected area. Taxpayers qualifying for relief who live outside the disaster area need to contact the IRS at 866-562-5227.”