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

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As HB 423 Provisions Go Into Effect, Florida TaxWatch Touts Victory for Nurse Practitioners

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida TaxWatch, the state’s premier, non-partisan government watchdog for almost 40 years, has led the charge for expanding scope of practice for advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs) and physician assistants (PAs), which would significantly lower costs for patients while improving access across the state. On January 1, 2017, provisions within HB 423 became effective, making Florida the final state in the country to allow ARNPs to prescribe controlled drugs.

“Removing the barriers of practice for ARNPs and PAs is one of the many cost-effective ways that Florida can move its healthcare system into the 21st century and ensure that our residents are receiving the care they need,” said Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro. “We applaud the efforts of the Legislature during the 2016 Legislative Session in expanding scope of practice for ARNPs and PAs. It was an excellent session for these healthcare issues.”

In addition to HB 423, numerous other bills passed expanding scope of practice for ARNPs and PAs including HB 1241, HB 375 and HB 977, all of which were consistent with Florida TaxWatch recommendations on the issue. Still, more must be done as Florida’s ARNP and PA practice laws are still among the most restrictive in the United States. These restrictions hamper the ability of ARNPs and PAs to practice to their full potential, significantly harming the health care of Floridians and hindering the economy.

Florida TaxWatch will continue to inform policy makers about the benefits of expanding scope of practice for ARNPs and PAs in the upcoming Legislative Session and beyond as we work to move Florida’s archaic health care system into the 21st century.

Read TaxWatch’s research on ARNPs and PAs here.

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