Hurricane Season: Protect tax records and financial documents from weather-related threats

BATON ROUGE – With predictions of above-normal activity during the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season that starts June 1, the Louisiana Department of Revenue encourages taxpayers to protect tax records and other financial documents from flood damage and other weather-related threats.

“A few basic precautions can reduce the chaos and difficulty of storm recovery,” said Secretary of Revenue Richard Nelson. “A little preparation can make a big difference.”

Keep documents secure

Paper records are especially vulnerable to water damage. Protect these documents by placing them in airtight plastic containers or zip closure bags and moving them out of harm’s way.

Scan important records such as tax returns, payroll records and insurance documents into an electronic format.

Use paperless media & cloud storage

Save electronic records to portable storage media such as flash memory drives and store them in waterproof containers; or upload electronic records to cloud storage from your home or business computer and retrieve them later from any device with internet access. This can be helpful in case of evacuation.

Document valuables and business equipment

Compile a room-by-room list of your belongings or business equipment. Photograph or videotape the contents of your home or business, especially items of high value. Having a visual record of your valuables can provide proof for an insurance claim, and can help to verify losses for state and federal tax purposes.

Get a Game Plan

If you have to leave your home to escape severe weather, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) has online resources available to help you develop a plan for before, during and after a storm.

Following a disaster, the Louisiana Department of Revenue will provide information on potential tax deductions or credits, filing extensions and other tax-related relief. Follow @larevenue on X (formerly Twitter) for updates.