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: Research

Social Determinants of Health: Social and Community Context

Social Determinants of Health Report Cover

This document is the fourth installment in a comprehensive five-part series on Social Determinants of Health, produced by the Florida TaxWatch Institute of Quality Health and Aging. The report examines the critical role of social and community relationships in determining individual and population health outcomes.

Key findings reveal that social support, community engagement, and interpersonal dynamics significantly impact physical and mental well-being. The research highlights several crucial insights: individuals with strong social support demonstrate greater resilience to stress, children from stable family environments experience better health outcomes, and community-level initiatives can effectively address public health challenges like obesity.

By emphasizing the importance of nurturing healthy social environments, the report underscores that investments in social relationships are fundamentally investments in overall health. Strategic efforts to support families, reduce adolescent bullying, and encourage community engagement can create substantial positive health outcomes.

Read the full report to learn more about these critical issues and potential solutions here.

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