Usually, tax relief assistance payments are not taxable. People in a presidentially-declared disaster area who receive grants from state programs, charitable organizations, or employers to cover medical, transportation, or temporary housing expenses do not include these grants in their income.  In the case of a federally declared disaster, an affected taxpayer can call 1-866-562-5227 to speak with an IRS specialist trained to handle disaster-related issues. For more information refer to the IRS website on the latest information for Taxpayers in Disaster Areas.