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

The Census Undercount Limits Florida’s Political Influence

The Census Undercount Hurts Florida’s Political Influence Report Cover

The Census Undercount Hurts Florida’s Political Influence demonstrates that the 2020 Census missed about 750,000 Floridians — 3.48 % of the population. Correcting that error with U.S. Census Bureau methodology shows the undercount shifted three U.S. House seats nationally: Colorado, Minnesota, and Rhode Island would each lose a seat, while Florida, Tennessee, and Texas would each gain one — raising Florida’s delegation to 29 seats instead of 28.

Every House seat equals one electoral vote, so the miscount also diverted three electoral votes away from Florida‑leaning states; in the razor‑thin 2024 presidential contest, that swing alone could have altered the Electoral College result. Inside Congress, where landmark legislation has passed by a single vote (215‑214), Florida’s missing representative could likewise decide national policy.

To prevent a repeat in 2030, the report calls on Florida’s business and community leaders to:

  • Stay informed through Florida TaxWatch’s Census Institute.
  • Act as trusted messengers, explaining that census data are confidential and vital.
  • Lend their voices to advocate for state funding and local Complete Count Committees.
  • Invest early in grassroots outreach — especially in hard‑to‑count immigrant communities — to ensure every resident is counted.

An accurate census is not a statistical formality — it safeguards Floridians’ representation in Congress and influence in presidential elections. Florida TaxWatch will continue convening stakeholders and advancing reforms so the state receives the voice it has earned.

Meet the Author:

Meg Cannan
Meg Cannan
Senior Research Analyst
LinkedIn

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