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

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Florida TaxWatch Opens South Florida Office

MIAMI, Fla. - Florida TaxWatch is proud to announce the opening of our first office in South Florida.

“For nearly 40 years, Florida TaxWatch has been the leading non-partisan voice for taxpayers throughout the state,” said Dominic M. Calabro, president and CEO of Florida TaxWatch. “This physical expansion in Miami will allow us to better serve all Floridians with valuable proximity to this international hub of business and tourism.”

Dr. Robert Cruz will launch our new office. Dr. Cruz is a Miami native and has a rich history working with South Florida institutions and civic leaders. Dr. Cruz joined Florida TaxWatch this summer as chief economist after serving as Department Chairman of the Business School at the Kendall Campus of Miami-Dade College. Dr. Cruz received his PhD in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1985, and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University in 1978.

“I have been proud to call Miami my home for all of my life and I am proud to be part of TaxWatch’s long history as the state’s leading government watchdog,” said Dr. Cruz. “This is an outstanding opportunity to make sure our great work serves South Florida’s residents and visitors.”

The office is located at 9100 S. Dadeland Blvd., Suite 1500, Miami FL

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