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: Releases

Florida TaxWatch Announces 2022-23 Executive Officers, Seven New Board of Trustees Members

Lakeland local Piyush Patel of Kyra Solutions, Inc. assumes the highest position of Chairman

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) announced its 2022-23 executive officers and seven new board of trustees members who will contribute to the independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit taxpayer research institute’s efforts to improve the productivity and accountability of Florida government. These men and women, who hold prominent positions within highly regarded organizations across a variety of industries, were elected at FTW’s Annual Meeting earlier in December and will serve three-year terms. They join an esteemed executive committee and 89 returning board members.

Kyra Solutions, Inc. Chairman, CEO, and Founder and Florida TaxWatch Board of Trustees Chairman Piyush Patel said, “It’s an honor to assume the role of Florida TaxWatch Chairman – especially following in the footsteps of U.S. Senator George LeMieux – and such a great privilege to have these well-respected men and women join the board of trustees. Together, we can continue to support the important work of Florida TaxWatch’s world-class research team, which serves as an invaluable resource for taxpayers and policymakers alike.”

Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro said, “Florida TaxWatch’s success is dependent on thoughtful guidance from our leadership. Having said that, we’re thrilled to announce our executive officers, serving under the formidable leadership of Chairman Piyush Patel, as well as seven new board members from across the Sunshine State. We welcome the unique ideas and suggestions they will certainly bring to the table, ultimately allowing us to continue producing high-quality work proven to have a significant impact on Florida taxpayers.”

FTW’s 2022-23 executive officers are as follows:

  • Piyush Patel, Chairman, CEO, and Founder, Kyra Solutions, Inc. – Chairman
  • Dominic M. Calabro, President and CEO, Florida TaxWatch – President and CEO
  • James Repp, President and COO, AvMed – Chairman-Elect
  • Marva Brown Johnson, Group Vice President, State Government Affairs, Charter Communications – Treasurer
  • David Casey, Senior Vice President, Government Relations and Business Development, Maximus – Secretary
  • U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, Chairman and Shareholder, Gunster – Immediate Past Chairman

The seven new FTW board of trustees members are as follows:

  • Sammie Dixon, Jr., Vice Chairman, CEO, and President, Prime Meridian Bank
  • Freddie Figgers, CEO and Founder, Figgers Communication, Inc.
  • Matthew Lazenby, President and CEO, Whitman Family Development
  • Sonya Montgomery, President and CEO, The Desoto Group
  • Sumanth Neelan, CEO and Founder, ODIN
  • Shane Strum, President and CEO, Broward Health
  • Randall Vitale, President, BBX Capital Partners

To view the full list of FTW leadership, please click here. For more information about FTW, please click here.

 

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