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

/ Categories: Research, Economic Forecast

Florida Economic Forecast: 2025-2034

Q3 2025

Florida Economic Forecast 2025-2034 | Q3 2025 - Report Cover

Executive Summary

Florida’s economy—valued at $1.76 trillion in Q1 2025—entered the year with strong momentum, but this Q3 2025 Florida TaxWatch forecast projects a return toward more “normal,” pre-pandemic growth rates over the next several years. While Florida’s population is still expected to climb to roughly 25.9 million by 2034, net migration is projected to cool as higher costs (housing, insurance, taxes) and other pressures weigh on in-migration.

Key Forecast Highlights (2025-2034):

  • Population Keeps Rising, Migration Slows: Population is projected to increase by about 2.4 million (about 23.5M to 25.9M) by 2034, but daily net migration is projected to fall from 922 per day (2025) to 702 per day (2034).
  • Employment Grows, But More Slowly: Total employment is projected to increase from about 10.0 million (2025) to about 10.8 million (2034), reflecting continued job growth at a more moderate pace.
  • Unemployment Rises Before Easing: The unemployment rate is projected to move from 4.0% (2025) up to 4.5% in 2026–2027, then gradually settle around 4.1% by 2034.
  • Real GDP Growth Normalizes: Real GDP growth is projected at 2.3% in 2026 and is expected to cool to about 1.9% by 2034—consistent with a slower, steadier expansion.
  • Income Growth: Up, Then Levels Off: Income growth is projected to rise to about 5.1% through 2028, then hover near 4.9% through 2034—suggesting growing spending capacity, but not at the breakneck pace of recent years.
  • Tourism: Short-Term Soft Patch, Then Modest Growth: After 2024’s record visitation, visitor growth is projected to be just 0.8% in 2025, strengthen through 2027, and then taper—pointing to a longer-run “reversion” toward pre-pandemic tourism growth rates.

Bottom line: Florida is still growing—but the forecast expects the state to shift from the post-pandemic sprint to a more sustainable jog, shaped by easing (but still present) economic uncertainty and a cooling pace of in-migration.

Meet the Author:

Headshot of Jui Shah
Jui Shah
Research Economist — Lead Author
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