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

Looking Back at Census 2020: What Florida’s Business and Community Leaders Need to Know

/ Categories: Research, Taxes, Census, Economic Development

An undercount is nothing new to Florida, but its current persistence inflicts costs more formidable than in previous years.  Throughout the decade, Floridians can expect to lose between $11 billion and $21 billion. The decennial Census count and American Community Survey (ACS) help communities understand local patterns of population growth, specialized workers, income, employment statuses, and transportation needs.

Florida's FY2022-23 State Budget

Florida TaxWatch is pleased to present taxpayers with a guide to the FY2022-23 state budget, which went into effect July 1, 2022. The report includes all appropriations for the new fiscal year— the General Appropriations Act (GAA), “back-of-bill” spending, and general bills—net of the Governor’s vetoes.

BUILT FOR SUCCESS: MANUFACTURING’S ROLE IN FLORIDA’S ECONOMY

/ Categories: Research, Economic Development

Advancing Florida’s standing on the global stage requires a state economy conducive to innovation, capable of withstanding disruptions, and constantly cultivating talent. A robust manufacturing sector stands at the crossroads of these priorities and, as the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated, the sector’s importance cannot be understated.

Benefits Cliffs—At the Cliffs Edge

How reducing benefits cliffs can stimulate workforce participation and economic growth

/ Categories: Research, Economic Development

This report 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. Benefits cliffs occur when a marginal wage increase results in the partial or total loss of public benefits for different public assistance programs. For illustrative purposes, imagine a mother earns a $1,000 annual raise but loses more than $8,000 in childcare assistance—a cliff effect occurs. 

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