Representative Felicia Robinson (D-Miami Gardens) filed a bill that supports small businesses instead of debilitating them. House Bill 103 mirrors the Fresh Start Initiative, which was implemented in 1996 at the federal level and has proven to be quite successful. It will require the Florida Department of Revenue (DOR) to convene informal conferences upon request by the small business to, at the very least, give the taxpayers with tax balances the opportunity to explain their situation and what are they able to pay and over what period of time. It will also provide taxpayers the ability to prove genuine hardship as an avenue to reduce their tax debts to a feasible level. By doing this, the DOR will receive funds without compromising the livelihood of these small businesses.
“I recognize that small businesses are a vital part of our economy and therefore it is important to protect them,” said Representative Robinson. “This bill does that by giving them the opportunity to prove hardship and to pay tax debt over time without punishment. A business that has already suffered hardship doesn’t need the added pressures of predatory collection practices. This bill can assist in preventing the closure of small businesses which will ultimately support Florida’s economy.”
