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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Ideas in Action - STEM Jobs

As one of the largest technology companies based in Florida, Harris Corporation is committed to nding the best and brightest engineers, scientists and developers throughout the Sunshine State. And in order for that to happen, Florida schools must continue funneling dollars and focusing education on STEM related fields.

That’s why Harris fully supports Gov. Rick Scott’s efforts to invest $1 million into a program to place teachers with high-tech companies during the summer months, allowing teachers to create a curriculum based on what they learned in the workplaces. Harris is one of 44 Florida companies that will participate in the program.

Gov. Scott visited Harris Corp’s Palm Bay campus on Monday, Sept. 26 to tout the importance of STEM education in Florida, focusing on Harris’ commitment to Florida, including the 6,000 jobs that are based in the Sunshine State.

“Over half the jobs, as you know, right here are great STEM jobs,” said Scott. “We’re trying to make sure this is the STEM capital of the world.” Harris CEO Bill Brown spoke about the 120 years Harris has been a company and the 65 years Harris has had a major presence in Florida, including the nearly 40 years the company’s global headquarters has been in Melbourne, an anchor of the Space Coast.

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education, a critical skillset needed in businesses across the state. It is especially important for Harris, the Melbourne-based company that provides advanced, technology-based solutions that solve government and commercial customers’ mission-critical challenges. Harris supports customers in more than 125 countries in the fields of law enforcement, military, aviation, weather, maritime, energy and others.

“Our presence is due in large part to the tireless and persuasive efforts of Gov. Rick Scott, who truly has been absolutely relentless in his drive to attract good-paying jobs to Florida,” said Brown. Scott honored Brevard Sheriff’s Deputy Casey Smith, who was shot on duty in August during an arrest. Scott awarded Smith a Medal of Heroism.

“Everyone at Harris joins you in honoring Deputy Smith for his heroism and service protecting our community here,” Brown said. “Although many of us in the room don’t wear uniforms and don’t carry badges, we feel a very special bond with first responders and members of our armed forces, who risk their lives to protect us from harm. Every one of our employees come to work each and every day dedicated to creating the advanced, innovative and reliable products that protect our communities as well as our national security. It’s a commitment we all take very, very seriously. We can think of no mission more critical and we’re proud to support these brave men and women in uniform.”

Harris provides communication networks and tools to law enforcement agencies across the nation. In Florida, Harris connects law enforcement officers from Pensacola to Miami through the State Law Enforcement Radio System, which supports more than 20,000 radios through 219 tower sites and nearly 30 million monthly radio transmissions. Harris also works in local cities and counties, providing first responders the necessary tools to connect with each other in times of crisis. On a larger scale, Harris’ ingenuity and innovation has positioned the company to provide communication tools for the Department of Defense, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration, among others.

Harris does this through the talents of more than 9,000 engineers and advanced degree-holding employees. Harris funds STEM initiatives at universities and secondary schools throughout Florida in order to entice students to study in these fields. Harris hires 52 percent new graduates from Florida schools. “These skills are not only vital to the future of our company, but to the future of our state and our country.”

That’s why Harris stands with Gov. Scott in his pursuit to increase STEM education funding and to train Florida’s teachers the newest technologies so they can equip students to join the workforce. Harris needs the best and brightest students so it can continue as a global leader in creating communication technology and growing in Florida.

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