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, BOC

Florida TaxWatch Provides Assistance to Broward Schools' Bond Oversight Committee

Statement from Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro about Florida TaxWatch’s independent watchdog role with the Broward County Schools’ Bond Oversight Committee.

“Broward County voters have overwhelmingly entrusted the local school board to effectively manage a local taxpayer investment of $800 million to improve aging schools, upgrade safety and security systems and purchase new equipment to enhance student learning. I commend Broward Superintendent Robert Runcie and the Broward County School Board for affirming their commitment to local taxpayers by creating the independent Bond Oversight Committee to ensure the bond process remains open, accountable and transparent.

“The taxpayers of Broward County must hold their public officials accountable for making sound investments in local schools and using their $800 million investment to its highest and best use. As the taxpayers’ trusted government watchdog for nearly four decades, Florida TaxWatch will work in a limited role with the Bond Oversight Committee to provide high quality, independent research and analyses to help committee members and the public properly carry out their oversight responsibilities.

“The creation of the Bond Oversight Committee is a small step in the direction of greater accountability and transparency in Broward School’s budgeting. It is my hope that with additional layers of accountability, the public will be confident in the school board’s and the oversight committee’s ability to guarantee every dollar of bond proceeds are used to reap the greatest benefit for Broward students, families and taxpayers.”

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