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

Teaching Every Child to Swim Saves Thousands of Lives from Needless Drownings and Taxpayers Millions

Drowning remains a leading cause of death for children in the United States, with Florida consistently ranking among the highest for child drowning fatalities. The Florida TaxWatch report highlights the importance of teaching children water safety skills, citing that learning to swim can reduce drowning risks by 88%. Despite legislative progress in recent years, unintentional drowning continues to pose a significant threat, especially for children aged 1-4.

The report emphasizes the impact of past legislative measures such as the Swimming Lesson Voucher Program and underscores the importance of further water safety initiatives. Recommendations include introducing additional legislative efforts, such as requiring hospitals to show new parents a video on drowning prevention and increasing safety measures for children with autism, who are at significantly higher risk of drowning.

Florida TaxWatch continues to advocate for statewide water safety policies to prevent needless tragedies and reduce the economic impact of childhood drownings. Teaching every child to swim can save thousands of lives and millions in taxpayer costs.

Download the full report here

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