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

Visit Florida and Enterprise Florida are essential to Florida's tourism economy

/ Categories: Op-Eds

Year after year, families across the nation and the world choose Florida as their top vacation destination. As the Sunshine State, it is not hard to see why. When you consider tourist attractions like Miami Beach, Walt Disney World, Clearwater, the World Golf Hall of Fame, the Florida Keys, Universal Studios and Sea World, not to mention an expanding economy with a steady supply of jobs, Florida seems to have it all.

The Future of Florida’s Film Industry is in the Hands of the Legislature

/ Categories: Op-Eds

Imagine that you are a producer, scouting locations for your new tv show. You need a sunny climate with easy access to beaches. Your network has green-lit a full first season, and you need somewhere to set up shop. You don’t have an unlimited budget, though, so you have to make the call based on what location gives you the best balance of cost and atmosphere. Are you coming to Florida?

It Is Time To Make Florida A Technological Leader

By New Capitol IT, LLC Founder & President Chuck Cliburn and Florida TaxWatch President & CEO Dominic M. Calabro

/ Categories: Op-Eds

Technology has changed every aspect of our lives in many direct and tangible ways. All of us now routinely access information ranging from how to change a tire to how far Mercury is from Saturn in just a matter of seconds. Technology has changed how we communicate with each other, how we watch TV and listen to music, how we buy things and pay our bills, how we learn about things and how we find our way from point A to point B.

Opportunity Zones Could Help the Panhandle Recover from Hurricane Michael

By Florida TaxWatch President & CEO Dominic M. Calabro

/ Categories: Op-Eds

On October 10, Hurricane Michael slammed ashore on Mexico Beach with devastating impact. The impact was not limited to the coast, as inland counties also felt the high-end Category 4 storm’s wrath. Before leaving Florida for Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia, the hurricane killed at least 35 Floridians, knocked out power to 380,000 homes and businesses, and caused insured damages of $2.6 billion (and climbing). Florida’s agriculture industry, including cotton, peanut, and corn farms, suffered more than $150 million in damages and timber losses are estimated at $1.3 billion.

Yes on Amendment 2 to prevent nearly $1 billion property tax hike

/ Categories: Op-Eds

Florida Taxwatch Chairman, Pat Neal, and President & CEO, Dominic Calabro, explain why on behalf of literally every resident of the Sunshine State, Floridians must vote “yes” on Amendment 2. Renters, business owners and consumers will be in for a major property tax increase if it fails to pass.

12345678910Last