West Florida News

U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) has highlighted the passage of his Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act, emphasizing its significance for Floridians affected by recent hurricanes. In an opinion piece published in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Rep. Steube detailed the challenges faced by Florida's Suncoast over the past two years due to hurricanes Ian, Debby, Helene, and Milton.

Rep. Steube stated, "As your representative, I’ve fought relentlessly to ensure that our communities have the resources they need to recover and rebuild." He announced that President Joe Biden signed his bill H.R.5863 into law last month.

The bipartisan legislation extends tax relief to cover all presidentially declared disasters since December 2020. This includes hurricanes Milton, Helene, Debby, Ian, Idalia, Nicole, and Fiona as well as victims of tornadoes, wildfires, and floods. The new law eliminates the 10% Adjusted Gross Income threshold that restricted relief to those with extensive damages.

Rep. Steube noted that civil settlements awarded to disaster victims are now tax-free: "After years of delays and unnecessary political roadblocks and gamesmanship, disaster victims can finally access the disaster tax relief they desperately need and deserve."

He emphasized that while this is a significant step forward, it is only the beginning: "Disaster relief has always operated under a dysfunctional system," he said. As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Steube intends to push for permanent reforms so disaster survivors do not have to wait for congressional action.

Rep. Steube encouraged those impacted by storms in Florida since 2021 to claim their tax deductions under this new law and advised working with a tax professional for guidance.

For more information on how to claim these benefits or file amended returns for previous years' losses related to disasters from 2021 through 2024 storms when filing taxes this year visit www.steube.house.gov/taxrelief/.