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

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Homelessness in Florida: Is there a better way?

Across the state and nation, homelessness continues to be an issue for many communities. While the state of Florida has seen a drop in the number of homeless individuals over the past few years, cities and counties across the state still struggle to deal with the fiscal and social impacts of homelessness.

While homelessness is obviously a major social issue, few understand the true fiscal impact that it can have on a community. According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, individuals that are homeless cost taxpayers $30,000-$50,000 per year. These costs are typically attributed to emergency room visits (and hospital stays), incarcerations, and policing. With the high costs attributed to homelessness, cities across the nation are looking to creative solutions to help combat the problem, in an effort to save the communities money, and help those in need.

One state that is taking an innovative approach in an attempt to help their homeless population is Utah. More than a decade ago, the state of Utah set out on ambitious mission: end chronic homelessness. By 2015, the state saw their homeless population drop by 91%, while decreasing the fiscal impact of homelessness.

The state used a variety of tactics to combat homelessness, however the one that caught national headlines, including being featured on a segment on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, was a simple yet surprising method: housing the homeless. The project, entitled Housing First, provides homes for those experiencing homelessness. The cost to house each individual is roughly $10,000-$12,000 a year in Utah, which is significantly cheaper than the costs associated with homeless individuals.

The success of Utah has other cities following suite within the U.S. and abroad. Boston, Massachusetts and Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada have implemented their own Housing First projects, to name a few.

While projects like Housing First may not be suitable for every community, it is certainly a unique approach to dealing with a complicated issue. Currently, Florida has one of the most concentrated homeless populations in the nation. As cities within Florida and the state as a whole continue to battle this issue, it may be wise to look outside the state’s border, to a variety of programs that are being implemented to combat homelessness. While no solution will work for every community, Florida can certainly learn from programs that are working.
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