Doug LaMalfa Protect Innocent Victims of Taxation After Fire Extension Act

This bill proposes to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 by creating a new section, 139M, which would exclude qualified wildfire relief payments from an individual's gross income. This exclusion aims to provide tax relief for those affected by significant natural disasters.

A "qualified wildfire relief payment" is defined as compensation for various losses, expenses, or damages, including additional living expenses, lost wages (excluding employer-paid wages), personal injury, death, or emotional distress, resulting from a federally declared wildfire disaster. These payments are only excludable to the extent they are not compensated by insurance or other sources. The bill also includes provisions to prevent double benefits, ensuring that no deductions, credits, or basis increases are allowed for amounts already excluded from gross income. This tax exclusion would apply to amounts received after December 31, 2025, but would sunset for payments received after December 31, 2032.