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

Florida TaxWatch Analyzes Public Safety Net Programs and the Economic Impact of Reducing Benefits Cliffs in New Report

/ Categories: Releases

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) is releasing a new report entitled At The Cliff’s Edge: How Reducing Benefits Cliffs Can Stimulate Workforce Participation and Economic Growth, which analyzes public safety net programs and benefits cliffs, a scenario in which a small increase in wages results in the partial or total loss of public benefits. The report presents implications for hiring and retaining workers in Florida’s tight labor market, as well as the overall impact on the economy. In the report, FTW also offers recommendations to mitigate these problems and thereby expand economic self-sufficiency, advancement, and mobility over time. 

Florida TaxWatch Releases Report Assessing Implications of Disrupted 2020 Census The taxpayer research institute also introduces a new Census Institute with a mission to improve critical planning dat

/ Categories: Releases

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) is releasing an economic commentary entitled The Economic and Fiscal Significance of the U.S. Census and American Community Survey (ACS). The report underscores the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on 2020 Census data collection efforts, including disruptions to the ACS, and highlights how this impacts federal funding and critical decision-making among policymakers and business leaders alike.

Florida TaxWatch Announces Thurs., April 14 as 2022 Florida Taxpayer Independence Day

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Tallahassee, Fla. – Florida TaxWatch announced that tomorrow, Thurs., April 14 marks the 2022 Florida Taxpayer Independence Day. This symbolic occasion assumes that every dollar Floridians earned since the start of the year goes to pay local, state, and federal taxes, but now, they will finally begin earning for themselves. Based on the relative size of all taxes paid in Florida to the state’s total personal income, it took taxpayers an average of 103 days to satisfy their tax obligations this year, four more days than in 2021. 

Florida TaxWatch Announces Manatee Charter School Principal Bonnie Brett as a 2021-22 Principal Leadership Awards Winner

/ Categories: Releases

Bradenton, Fla. – Today, Tues., April 12, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) will proudly announce that Principal Bonnie Brett of Manatee Charter School in Manatee County is among the nine winners of the Florida TaxWatch 2021-22 Principal Leadership Awards (PLA). Through the program, Principal Brett has also identified one deserving student to receive a full two-year Florida College Scholarship.

Florida TaxWatch Announces Montclair Elementary School Immediate Past Principal Hollie Wilkins and Pine Forest High School Immediate Past Principal Laura Touchstone as 2021-22 PLA Winners

/ Categories: Releases

Pensacola, Fla. – Today, Fri., April 1, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) will proudly announce that Hollie Wilkins, immediate past principal of Montclair Elementary School, and Laura Touchstone, immediate past principal of Pine Forest High School, are among the nine winners of the Florida TaxWatch 2021-22 Principal Leadership Awards (PLA)

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