Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said Friday that businesses damaged by Hurricane Dolly may postpone paying state taxes while they clean up wind and flood damage.

Business owners have the option of requesting an extension of up to 90 days to file state tax returns due in July and August. Businesses can call the comptroller’s toll-free tax assistance line at 1-800-252-5555

Gov. Rick Perry has declared the following counties as disaster areas: Aransas, Bexar, Brooks, Calhoun, Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Starr, Victoria and Willacy.

As such, the tax extension will apply to businesses in each of these affected areas of South Texas. In San Antonio, tornadoes touched down in scattered neighborhoods of the city.

“South Texas is fortunate to have escaped the widespread, catastrophic impact a hurricane can bring to the Texas coast,” Combs says. “Many homes and businesses did suffer significant damage, however, and postponing taxes for people who need time to focus on recovery is one way the state can help taxpayers in counties where the governor has issued a disaster declaration.”

Texas law also allows the comptroller to exempt certain recovery-related expenses from sales taxes. These include:

• The cost of labor to repair storm-damaged, non-residential property, such as office buildings and stores;

• Services used to restore storm-damaged property, including dry cleaning of clothes and draperies, rug and carpet cleaning and appliance repairs.

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