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

Water Turkeys: Despite Increased Funding for Florida’s Water Resources and the Creation of New Competitive Grants Processes, Local Member Earmarks are Proliferating

In 2020, the Governor and Legislature created the Wastewater Grant Program, which has received funding of $741 million. They also created the Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection to help ensure Florida’s coastal communities are prepared for the impacts of flooding and sea-level rise. In 2021, the Resilient Florida Grant Program, with a dedicated source of funding, was created to help local governments with resiliency projects and planning. Despite all this additional funding made available by the Legislature through both new and established grant programs, scores of member requests for local water and resiliency projects also appear in the budget without going through a grant review process by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Florida TaxWatch supported the Governor’s water restoration and resiliency funding recommendations.

In a 2020 report, we highlighted the many environmental, economic, health, and recreational benefits this investment can provide to the public. Another Florida TaxWatch report examined the effects of climate change and sea level rise on each sector of Florida’s economy, and recommended ways to mitigate those impacts. Florida TaxWatch also supports the integrity of the state budget process. Each year, in our Budget Turkey Watch report, we identify appropriations that circumvent proper review, transparency, and accountability standards. The report is presented to the Governor for inclusion in his or her budget review and veto considerations. Waterrelated member projects have been a focus of that report.

This report examines the various avenues for local funding assistance that currently exist, how the Legislature funds water projects requested by members, and makes recommendations to improve the process.

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