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

Locked Up then Locked Out

Over time, the “F” in “felony” has become the new scarlet letter. Persons with criminal records (PCRs) are excluded from many opportunities critical for successful reentry into society, particularly employment. While this issue affects all individuals that have criminal records, including those who have been arrested but not charged or convicted, it particularly affects offenders leaving prison.

Common sense, research, and anecdotal evidence all show that if these released offenders do not secure stable employment, they are more likely to reoffend and return to prison. To decrease recidivism and increase the return on state investment in corrections, offenders need to be able to find jobs and keep them; however, there are several barriers to this goal. This paper addresses some of these barriers and recommends that Florida:

  • Expand educational, vocational, and reentry programs to provide services to more inmates behind bars and ensure continued educational/employment assistance and support for PCRs post-release;
  • Implement a state complement to the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) for employers who hire qualified ex-offenders; and
  • Authorize judges and the Florida Commission on Offender Review to issue Certificates of Rehabilitation for PCRs who have completed sanctions and shown commitment to a crime- free life. 

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