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 Announces Indian Ridge School and Rosenwald Elementary School Principals as 2022-23 Principal Leadership Awards Winners

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West Palm Beach, Fla. – Today, Thurs., March 16, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) will proudly announce that Indian Ridge School Principal Eugene Ford and Rosenwald Elementary School Principal Bruce Hightower are among the nine winners of the Florida TaxWatch 2022-23 Principal Leadership Awards (PLA). Through the program, Principals Ford and Hightower have also each identified one deserving student to receive a full two-year Florida Prepaid College Scholarship. 

Florida TaxWatch Announces Lillie C. Evans K-8 Center Immediate Past Principal Dr. Bridgette Tate-Wyche as 2022-23 Principal Leadership Awards Winner

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Miami, Fla. – Today, Tues., March 14, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) will proudly announce that Dr. Bridgette Tate-Wyche – immediate past principal of Lillie C. Evans K-8 Center in Miami-Dade County, now principal at Miami Northwestern Senior High School – is among the nine winners of the Florida TaxWatch 2022-23 Principal Leadership Awards (PLA). Through the program, Dr. Tate-Wyche has also identified one deserving Lillie C. Evans K-8 Center student to receive a full two-year Florida Prepaid College Scholarship. 

 

Florida TaxWatch to Honor Indian Ridge School and Rosenwald Elementary School Principals with 2022-23 Principal Leadership Awards on Thurs., March 16

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West Palm Beach, Fla. – On Thurs., March 16, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) will honor Indian Ridge School Principal Eugene Ford and Rosenwald Elementary School Principal Bruce Hightower with the Florida TaxWatch 2022-23 Principal Leadership Award (PLA), which identifies Florida’s most effective principals in high-risk K-12 public schools, recognizes and rewards their work, and promotes their transformational practices throughout the state. 

 

Florida TaxWatch Hosts Annual State of the Taxpayer Dinner

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Tallahassee, Fla – Today, Florida TaxWatch is hosting its annual State of the Taxpayer Dinner, providing the opportunity for the state’s elected leaders and policymakers to speak directly to the interests of taxpayers. Once again, the event serves as a forum for Cabinet members, legislators, and key leaders to discuss critical issues that are impacting Florida families and businesses. 

Florida TaxWatch Evaluates Charge Card Fees on Consumer Transactions, Highlighting Growing Burden Placed on Retailers and Taxpayers

/ Categories: Releases

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released An Inappropriate Cost of Doing Business: Paying the Interchange Fee on Sales Tax for Credit Card Purchases. In the commentary, FTW evaluates interchange fees, or “swipe fees,” that businesses are required to pay the processing company when a credit or debit card is used at their store’s payment terminal. The taxpayer research institute also assesses the sales tax-related implications of these transactional fees and considers how they may be addressed moving forward.

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