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

/ Categories: Releases

Statement by Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro on Back to School Sales Tax Holiday Beginning Mon., July 24

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wed., July 19, 2023
CONTACT: Aly Coleman Raschid, aly@on3pr.com, 850.391.5040

 

Statement by Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro on Back to School Sales Tax Holiday Beginning Mon., July 24

 

Tallahassee, Fla. – The statement below, to be attributed to Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro, pertains to the Back to School Sales Tax Holiday beginning Mon., July 24.


“Quality education is key to child development and positioning future generations of Floridians for success. It is critical that the state invest in initiatives, like the Back to School Sales Tax Holiday, that will ensure students and teachers alike are adequately equipped for a productive school year. Florida TaxWatch thanks Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature, not only for reinstituting this timely tax relief, but also for expanding it to four weeks total and thereby giving families additional opportunities to save their hard-earned tax dollars.”


According to Governor DeSantis’ Framework for Freedom Budget highlights, the $1.3 billion tax relief package in Florida’s Fiscal Year 2023-24 state budget contains funding for more than 15 sales tax holidays and exemptions, including two, two-week Back to School Sales Tax Holidays, one prior to the start of the fall semester (Mon., July 24-Sun., Aug. 6, 2023) and one prior to the start of the spring semester (Mon., Jan. 1-Sun., Jan. 14, 2024). Together, they will save Florida families over $160.6 million by applying to items such as personal computers and accessories up to $1,500, clothing up to $100, school supplies up to $50, and learning aides and jigsaw puzzles up to $30.

 

These sales tax holidays accompany the ongoing 14-week Freedom Summer Sales Tax Holiday(Mon., May 29-Mon., Sept. 4, 2023), the one-year extension of the ENERGY STAR Sales Tax Holiday(Sat., July 1, 2023-Sun., June 30, 2024), the one-year Gas Ranges and Cooktops Sales Tax Holiday(Sat., July 1, 2023-Sun., June 30, 2024), and the two-year Home Hardening Sales Tax Exemption (Fri., July 1, 2022-Sun., June 30, 2024). You can access President and CEO Calabro’s comments on those here, here, and here respectively.  

 

About Florida TaxWatch
As an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit government watchdog and taxpayer research institute for more than forty years and the trusted eyes and ears of Florida taxpayers, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) works to improve the productivity and accountability of Florida government. Its research recommends productivity enhancements and explains the statewide impact of fiscal and economic policies and practices on taxpayers and businesses. FTW is supported by its membership via voluntary, tax-deductible donations and private grants. Donations provide a solid, lasting foundation that has enabled FTW to bring about a more effective, responsive government that is more accountable to, and productive for, the citizens it serves since 1979. For more information, please visit www.floridataxwatch.org. 

 

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