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 Consequences of a Census Undercount on Florida’s Healthcare Funding

Updated Report Cover

Florida’s 2020 Census undercount has far-reaching consequences—especially in healthcare. With an estimated 750,000 people uncounted, the state is projected to lose between $11 billion and $21 billion in federal funding for critical programs like Medicaid, CHIP, and SNAP by the end of the decade. These losses not only impact Florida’s healthcare infrastructure but also limit access to essential services for millions of residents.

This Florida TaxWatch report examines how inaccurate census data leads to misallocated healthcare resources, gaps in medical services, and billions in lost funding that Florida taxpayers must make up. It also highlights how the undercount affects federal funding formulas, potentially reducing Florida’s Medicaid matching rate and costing the state $2.3 billion in lost federal healthcare funds annually.

As Florida prepares for the 2030 Census, ensuring a full and accurate count is critical to securing the healthcare funding the state deserves. Read our full analysis to understand the financial and policy implications of the census undercount—and what must be done to correct course before the next count.

Meet the Authors:

Meg Cannan
Meg Cannan
Senior Research Analyst
LinkedIn

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