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

/ Categories: Releases

Florida TaxWatch Announces New Hires, Staff Promotions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tues., July 18, 2023
CONTACT: Aly Coleman Raschid, aly@on3pr.com, 850.391.5040

 

Florida TaxWatch Announces New Hires, Staff Promotions

 

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch – the renowned taxpayer research institute and trusted government watchdog for more than 40 years – announced a roster of new hires and staff promotions. They include:

 

  • Former Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, Esq., Executive Vice President and General Counsel – An AV Preeminent rated attorney, former Lt. Gov. Kottkamp served in a leadership role in the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 to 2006 before serving as Florida's 17th Lieutenant Governor from 2007 until 2011. As a member of the Florida Legislature, he had a reputation for fighting for lower taxes, and he sponsored legislation to repeal the Intangibles Tax. 
  • Meredith Pelton, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives – Meredith is an active member of the Florida Bar with an emphasis on succession planning. Prior to joining Florida TaxWatch, she served as the Executive Director for the Florida Commission for Independent Education.
  • Kayley Cox, Communications and Engagement Manager – Kayley has worked in private and public sectors and holds a Master of Arts in Corporate and Organizational Communication from West Virginia University.
  • Meg Cannan, Senior Research Analyst (Promotion) – During her time at the University of Florida, Meg volunteered at different schools, contributing research to the Bob Graham Center, and interning with the Samuel Proctor Oral History Institute.
  • Jessica Cimijotti, Research Analyst – Jessica came from a regulatory compliance background working at a Big Four financial institution as a senior analyst before starting at Florida TaxWatch. She is particularly interested in coastal policy, environmental policy, and energy policy issues.
  • Jui Shah, Research Economist – Jui recently received a Master of Science in Applied Economics from the University of Maryland. Her research of choice is educational policy and sustainable development, and she has one publication in the Liberal Arts Journal. 
  • Shane O’Conner, Investor Services Coordinator – Shane is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History at Florida State University. He is involved at the Center for the Advancement of Human Rights and writes for the FSView and Florida Flambeau.

 

Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro said, “This is an extremely exciting time for Florida TaxWatch. Our staff are the backbone of our organization and the driver behind the important work we do on behalf of taxpayers. We are proud to build on over four decades of excellence and strengthen our already incredibly talented team by bringing so many accomplished professionals on board, while also recognizing and rewarding those who have been with us for some time and continually go above and beyond.”

 

Founded in 1979, Florida TaxWatch is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization tasked with monitoring how taxpayers’ money is spent, rooting out bureaucratic waste and inefficiency, and serving as a catalyst for positive change, while balancing the interests of business, labor, government, and citizens across the Sunshine State.  

 

Earlier in 2023, Florida TaxWatch received a Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator, indicating the organization is financially efficient, sustainable, and trustworthy, and it maintains a commitment to its governance practices and policies.

 

For more information about Florida TaxWatch, please click here.

 

About Florida TaxWatch
As an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit government watchdog and taxpayer research institute for more than forty years and the trusted eyes and ears of Florida taxpayers, Florida TaxWatch works to improve the productivity and accountability of Florida government. Its research recommends productivity enhancements and explains the statewide impact of fiscal and economic policies and practices on taxpayers and businesses. Florida TaxWatch is supported by its membership via voluntary, tax-deductible donations and private grants. Donations provide a solid, lasting foundation that has enabled Florida TaxWatch to bring about a more effective, responsive government that is more accountable to, and productive for, the citizens it serves since 1979. For more information, please visit www.floridataxwatch.org.

 

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