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

Download the Recommendations

Other Resources

Florida Disaster.biz
FEMA
Florida Department of Financial Services
Florida SBDC
Disaster Contractors Network
Florida Disaster Fund

Florida TaxWatch Statement on Hurricane Ian Recovery

Community Involvement

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College Football is a Touchdown for Florida's Local and State Economies

It is Hurricane season in Florida. And Seminole season. And it’s also the season for the Gators and Rattlers and Bulls and many others. After a long hot summer, Floridians are eagerly awaiting the return of college football.

Not only is college football great for the fans, it is also a boon for communities and the state’s economy. College football fans visit cities across Florida from all over the state and even the country to see their favorite team play. The influx of visitors boosts the local economy, spending money on lodging, food, memorabilia and transportation in a post-summer shift in tourism.

Florida TaxWatch reported that when Florida State won their third National Championship in 2013-14 season, even bottom-tier games generated a total of $1.5 million in economic revenue for the Tallahassee area each weekend. The top level games generated more than $10 million per weekend. In 2012, the University of Florida football team generated close to $75 million in revenue for the school, according to the same TaxWatch report.

While there may be debate over the role of athletics in the mission of institutions of higher education, there is no denying that college football has a great impact on state and local economies with studies finding that sales tax revenue increases statewide during college football season.

And while our college teams perform with the nation’s best during the season, the success continues in December and January. Florida leads the country in the number of bowl games played in state and will be hosting the national championship this season at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Bowl games generate millions of dollars for the state in sales tax revenue and showcase our state’s spot as one of the world’s top tourist destination.

While Florida State, Miami and the University of Florida are traditional powers, the economic score is going to increase as the University of South Florida and the University of Central Florida assert themselves on the national stage. Even teams with smaller fan bases like the Florida Atlantic University Owls and the Florida International University Panthers are generating bigger crowds and more excitement.

Whether you’re a rabid fan or can’t tell a field goal from a touchdown, we are all winners this football season.

Dominic M. Calabro is the President and CEO of Florida TaxWatch

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