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: Op-Eds

It is Time to Free Professionals and Technology to Provide Better and More Affordable Health-Care for Floridians

Florida TaxWatch has been a leader in making sure residents of the Sunshine State have access to affordable health care options,‭ ‬saving millions of dollars and countless lives.

Lawmakers are considering two TaxWatch recommendations to eliminate barriers to‭ ‬21st century solutions to help Floridians enjoy longer,‭ ‬healthier lives.‭

One change would reduce the limits on‚Ä≠ “‚Ĩtelehealth‚Ä≠” ‚Ĩ-‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩthe use of technology to expand access to all Floridians.‚Ä≠ ‚ĨMore and more health-care providers are offering everything from routine visits to critical post-operative check-ups via computers,‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩtelephones,‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩand smartphone apps.‚Ä≠

Allowing Floridians to get world-class medical care can avoid costly visits to the doctor or hospital while saving time and money.‭ ‬Critical follow-up care for more severe health issues is more easily accessed via telehealth,‭ ‬promoting quicker recoveries and avoiding expensive hospital and emergency room‭ ‬visits.‭ ‬And telehealth allows Floridians in every corner of the state to have better access to all types of primary and specialty health care regardless of their proximity to doctors and hospitals.

Telehealth options promote incredible savings by providing immediate help and avoiding costly emergencies later.‚Ä≠  ‚ĨJust a simple‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩ1‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩpercent reduction in Medicaid costs would save Florida taxpayers more than‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩ$220‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩmillion.‚Ä≠ ‚ĨAnd a‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩ1‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩpercent reduction in hospitalizations would save Florida families and businesses more than‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩ$1.2‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩbillion annually.

The second TaxWatch proposal lawmakers are considering is expanding the scope of practice for the state’s‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩ15,000‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩadvanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs).‚Ä≠ ‚ĨFreed from short-sighted legal barriers,‚Ä≠ ‚ĨARNPs could provide up to‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩ80‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩpercent of the primary care needs for Florida patients.‚Ä≠ ‚ĨThese nationally certified professionals have extensive training,‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩand allowing them to provide efficient and thorough care for basic health-care needs would provide quicker,‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩmore accessible pathways to health for all Floridians.

All‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩ49‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩother states have taken steps to reduce restrictions on ARNP scope of practice.‚Ä≠  ‚ĨAllowing ARNPs in Florida the same freedom to serve would save Floridians up to‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩ$44‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩmillion per year in Medicaid costs alone and up to‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩ$339‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩmillion across the entire health care system by providing prompt care before small problems become more serious with costly visits to hospitals and specialists.

Floridians cannot afford to wait any longer for common sense improvements to the health care system.‭ ‬We applaud lawmakers for considering these simple yet critical changes to add value for the hard-working taxpayers and improving the physical,‭ ‬mental and fiscal health of our state.

Dominic M.‚Ä≠ ‚ĨCalabro is the president and CEO of Florida TaxWatch,‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩthe state’s premier independent government watchdog group.

Featured in Sunshine State News.
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