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, Taxpayer Guide

Florida Taxpayer Independence Day 2024

In 2024, Floridians will spend an average of 107 days working to pay off their federal, state, and local tax obligations. This symbolic date, falling on April 18, highlights the significant tax burden faced by Florida taxpayers.

Key findings from the report include:

  • Florida's total tax burden is estimated at $455 billion in 2024, with federal taxes accounting for 71%, state taxes 15%, and local taxes 14%.
  • Over the past decade, total taxes paid by Floridians have increased by 90%, with local taxes growing the most at 105%.
  • The average Florida household spends 2 hours and 21 minutes of each workday earning enough to pay taxes, making it their single largest expense.
  • Floridians' effective buying power is expected to decrease slightly by 0.8% in 2024 due to tax growth outpacing personal income growth and the effects of inflation.

Despite the challenges, Florida's state tax burden remains one of the lowest in the nation, while the local tax burden is closer to the national average. The report also examines the factors contributing to the growth in state, local, and federal tax collections.

Download the full Florida Taxpayer Independence Day 2024 report to learn more about the tax landscape in Florida and its impact on taxpayers.

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