9 Actions Florida Should Take to Help Taxpayers Impacted by Hurricane Ian

1.     Postpone tax notices and waive penalties or interest for late tax filings in affected areas

2.     Extend the date for residents to take advantage of the tax discounts they would normally receive for paying property taxes and special assessments in November and postpone or defer the deadline for property tax installment payments

3.     Protect individual and business taxpayers from the risks for notices that they will likely not receive because their home or business addresses is not accessible anymore

4.     Issue no new audits in severely impacted areas, extend the statute of limitations and postpone existing audits that haven’t reached the assessment stage because these can’t be responded to while entire communities are still recovering

5.     Create procedures for fairly estimating taxes which can’t be calculated because records have been destroyed by the storm, moving away from the current method which significantly overestimates activity if no records are available

6.     Initiate procedures to offer payment plan assistance for late taxes, rather than resorting to the standard collection methods, like liens, levies, or bank freezes

7.     Retroactively apply the recently passed law that provides property tax refunds for residential property rendered uninhabitable as a result of a catastrophic event

8.     Provide tangible personal property relief and allow n on-residential properties rendered uninhabitable to receive property tax refunds

9.     Get Congress to pass a Disaster Tax Relief Act that includes provisions from past packages, including elements such as an Employee Retention Credit, an enhanced casualty loss deduction, and other relief provisions

Other Resources

Florida TaxWatch Statement on Hurricane Ian Recovery

Community Involvement

*THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED – Rescheduled Date and Additional Information to be Announced*

Florida TaxWatch to Announce 2022 Florida TaxWatch Productivity Award Winners on Thurs., Sept. 22 at 11 a.m. (EST)

/ Categories: Releases

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – On Thurs., Sept. 22 at 11 a.m. (EST), Florida TaxWatch (FTW) will hold an in-person and virtual press conference announcing the winners of the 2022 Florida TaxWatch Productivity Award (TPA) program, which is co-sponsored by the state of Florida and the Florida Council of 100, and presented by Kyra Solutions, Inc. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody will also accept the TPA “Agency of the Year” award and offer remarks at the presentation.

Florida TaxWatch Releases Quarterly Report for Broward SMART Program

/ Categories: Releases

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch released its review of the Broward County School District's Safety, Music & Art, Athletics, Renovations and Technology (SMART) Program in its report Monitoring and Oversight of General Obligation Bonds to Improve Broward County Schools: SMART Program Quarterly Report Review for the Quarter Ended June 30, 2022.   

Florida TaxWatch Releases 2022 Voter Guide to Florida’s Constitutional Amendments

/ Categories: Releases

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released the 2022 Florida TaxWatch Voter Guide to Florida’s Constitutional Amendments. In the guide, the taxpayer research institute and government watchdog provides an independent analysis and voting recommendation for the three proposed constitutional amendments that have been placed on the 2022 general election ballot by joint resolutions of the Florida Legislature. 

Florida TaxWatch Summarizes Roundtable Discussion with Distinguished K-12 Principals

Winners of the government watchdog’s 2021-22 Principal Leadership Awards offered thoughts on bolstering at-risk student achievement

/ Categories: Releases

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch released Building a Culture of Success: What Effective Principals Do – The 2022 Florida TaxWatch Principal Leadership Awards Roundtable Discussion Summary and Findings. The report provides a comprehensive summary of a May 2022 roundtable discussion with 10 distinguished principals who were recognized through the government watchdog’s 2021-22 Principal Leadership Awards, an annual program that identifies and rewards educational leaders who are creating meaningful change in their K-12 schools across the state. During the conversation, the principals offered their thoughts on the philosophies, strategies, and leadership required to bolster the achievement of at-risk students.

Statement by Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro on Tool Time Sales Tax Holiday Beginning Saturday, September 3, 2022

/ Categories: Releases

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The statement below, to be attributed to Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro, pertains to the Tool Time sales tax holiday beginning Saturday, September 3 and ending Friday, September 9, 2022. To learn more and/or schedule an interview with President and CEO Calabro, please contact Aly Coleman at aly@on3pr.com or 850.391.5040.

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