Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri

While the calendar as we all know it reads winter right now, there is another season that creeps up on us each year that can bring the chills to some, but mostly headaches! You probably know where I'm going with this... it's TAX SEASON! It may only last for about two months but it can set in just like winter, hard and fast.

As I was preparing my taxes recently with my accountant (luckily, my mom), we like anyone else look for deductions. As we flipped through items on the federal return, one of the deductions caught my weather eye. While it's not one that impacted my return, it could benefit many of you in the West. After our firestorm in California this past Fall, the IRS is offering relief to taxpayers. If you are in a area that was impacted by the California firestorm, you could be eligible for tax help. I'm certainly not an accountant but it looks as if this may also apply to people who have lost large amounts in other natural disasters.

Scenes like this played out all across California in 2007. Courtesy of AP.

Here is a link from the tax preparation program TURBO TAX which has links to the Federal Government and detailed info on applying for relief.

http://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/wildfire-tax-tips/tax-article

Remember, this is just a heads up on a deduction I stumbled on and NOT TAX ADVICE. Good luck this season... before you know it, summer will be here and both seasons will be a fading memory.

Talk with you soon

-Jeff