Marking the first anniversary of Hurricane Ian’s landfall in Florida last week, U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., called on the U.S. House to move on his bill “to provide income tax relief to Americans recovering from Hurricane Ian.”
Steube’s bill “designates Hurricane Ian as a qualified disaster for the purposes of determining tax treatment of certain disaster-related personal casualty losses.”
The Southwest Florida congressman’s office offered some of the reasons behind the proposal when he brought it out back in March.
“Congressional action is currently needed to designate Hurricane Ian as a qualified disaster. According to the IRS, if you have a qualified disaster loss you may elect to deduct the loss without itemizing your deductions. Your net casualty loss doesn’t need to exceed 10 percent of your adjusted gross income to qualify for the deduction,” Steube’s office noted.
The bill was sent to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee where it has been sitting for the past six months. Steube called on the committee, on which he sits, to pass his proposal.
“As we mark one year since Hurricane Ian devastated the Suncoast, my utmost priority remains working to ensure all Floridians are fully recovered. We’ve made substantial progress over the past year, and we’ve worked together to help our neighbors in need. My office has helped hundreds of Floridians with FEMA cases and SBA cases to get the help they are owed. But more work remains. Many of our neighbors still have tarps on their roofs and work in their homes awaiting a contractor. Families are waiting for insurance decisions, schools are waiting for FEMA funding to come through, and all Floridians are still waiting for Congress to do its job and provide much-needed tax relief for those impacted financially by Ian,” he said.
“My bill, H.R. 1331, will provide income tax relief for Floridians recovering from Hurricane Ian by designating Hurricane Ian as a qualified disaster event. This bill currently awaits further action in the House Committee on Ways and Means, led by Chairman Jason Smith. I am a member of this committee and I continue to urge House leadership and Chairman Smith to recognize the lasting devastation of Hurricane Ian and help provide the needed tax relief that Floridians so rightfully deserve,” Steube added. “Despite experiencing several severe hurricanes within a year, Floridians are resilient. We know recovery can take years. As your representative, please know I will continue to work tirelessly for you as long as it takes.”
Seven House members, including Florida Republican U.S. Reps. Aaron Bean, Byron Donalds, Neal Dunn, Anna Paulina Luna and Cory Mills, are co-sponsoring the proposal. There is no companion measure over in the U.S. Senate.
