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: Primers

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Where Does the $634 Million Go? 

These are the appropriations in the 2019-20 General Appropriations Act that most closely align with the Governor’s recommendations.

Everglades Restoration -- $413 million

  • $145.5 million goes to the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) for the planning, design, engineering, and construction of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP).[1]
  • $64 million in recurring funds is dedicated to the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) project. Remaining money in any fiscal year must go to Phase II of the C-51 reservoir project.  An additional non-recurring $43.8 million was appropriated this year for EEA and related projects that move water south.
  • $32 million in recurring funds (through FY 2025-26) goes to SFWMD’s Restoration Strategies Regional Water Quality Plan.
  • $32.9 million is directed towards implementing the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program to restore and protect the Lake Okeechobee, Caloosahatchee River, and St. Lucie River watersheds.
  • $50 million is for specific projects designed to achieve the greatest reduction in harmful discharges into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Estuaries.
  • $40 million was funded in the Department of Transportation Work Program to elevate 5.45 miles of the Tamiami Trail which has been blocking the natural flow of water through the Everglades.
  • $4.0 million was appropriated in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service’s budget for agricultural nutrient reduction and water retention projects in the Lake Okeechobee Watershed.
 

[1]  In 2000, Congress approved the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), a $10.5 billion, 35-plus year project, designed to restore natural sheetflow, rehydrate marshes, and provide freshwater flows to protect our estuaries.

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