Legislative Update: FICPA secures Isaias relief for members in the Panhandle
October 16, 2026
By FICPA Governmental Affairs
For the last 10 days, since a tropical storm began to form in the Gulf, the FICPA Governmental Affairs Team has been engaged in an around-the-clock advocacy effort on behalf of our members in the Panhandle.
Isaias made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane on Friday, Oct. 9, just six days before the Oct. 15 federal tax deadline. Approximately 500,000 homes and businesses were without power, with widespread damage felt across the Panhandle.
Severe storms are never convenient, but the timing of Hurricane Isaias presented a unique problem for CPAs and their clients. Further complicating matters, as destructive as Isaias proved, its impact was not immediately declared a major disaster. Such a declaration would have automatically triggered tax-filing relief.
Hurricane Isaias was the first major storm to make landfall in Florida since the passage of the Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act in July 2025. This new law grants state governors the ability to make an appeal directly to the U.S. Treasury for an extension.
Working on behalf of our members in the Panhandle, the FICPA pulled every possible lever at the state and federal levels to sound the alarm and deliver relief ahead of the rapidly approaching deadline. For more than a week, we were in constant dialogue with the Executive Office of the Governor, Florida lawmakers and federal officials at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to secure an extension and expedite notices to those impacted by Isaias.
On Tuesday, Oct. 13, two days ahead of the deadline, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced at an early-evening press availability in Jay that he had made the appropriate request to federal officials and that relief was indeed on the way.
An official notice finally arrived on Wednesday afternoon, when the IRS announced an extension to Feb. 8, 2027, for affected taxpayers in Baker, Bay, Calhoun, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Suwannee, Taylor, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington counties.
The IRS announcement was promptly followed by another from the Florida Department of Revenue (DOR), which granted a Corporate Income Tax extension for those same 27 counties through Feb. 23, 2027, 15 days after the federal deadline.
The FICPA is grateful to Gov. DeSantis for using his authority under the new law to deliver this much-needed relief to Floridians in the Panhandle. We also thank DOR Executive Director Dr. Jim Zingale for moving swiftly on Wednesday evening to provide clarity at the state level. We are likewise appreciative of all the state officials and lawmakers who aided us in accelerating the process.
Of course, our work is not yet done. Following the IRS announcement, the FICPA sent a letter to the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network requesting relief from the Oct. 15 deadline for Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) filings. We will update our members on the status of FBAR filings as needed.
When we haven’t been on calls with state and federal officials in the last week, we’ve been on the phone with so many of you – our FICPA members directly impacted by this storm.
We heard you. We worked for you. And we are proud to deliver on your behalf.
So much of our advocacy effort is focused on legislative process and the 60-day Session each spring, when we strive to promote the profession and protect your license.
But when we say FICPA’s advocacy is truly a year-round endeavor – we mean it.
New Florida Condominium Reserve Rule Now Effective
Separate from the storm, CPAs who serve condominium associations should be aware that significant changes to Florida’s condominium reserve requirements are now reflected in Rule 61B-22.005, effective Oct. 4, 2026.
The revised rule provides additional guidance on Structural Integrity Reserve Studies, reserve funding requirements, reserve schedules, and related documentation and reporting obligations. These changes may affect association budgeting, accounting, financial statement presentation and disclosures, and board governance.
Last week, the FICPA’s State Legislative Policy Committee sent a comment letter to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation offering constructive comments and feedback on the changes.
Given the increased focus on reserve funding and compliance, condominium associations and their professional advisors should review the rule carefully to understand its implications and identify any actions that may be necessary.
Just in case you missed it, we’re eager to remind you that our annual CPA Day at the Capitol is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2027 – and registration is now open!
Last year, we set a record for the largest advocacy event in our history, as more than 150 FICPA representatives took meetings or delivered legislative materials to every single member of the Florida House and Senate, advancing our legislative priorities and protecting the value of the CPA license.
No one tells the story of the CPA profession better than you. That's why the Governmental Affairs Team once again invites you to Tallahassee ahead of the 2027 Legislative Session to help us advocate for our FICPA priority legislation.
This year, your presence will be especially important. Florida will soon welcome a new Governor, Senate President and Speaker of the House – and for the first time in more than a decade, no CPA will serve in the Florida Legislature.
Whether it’s your first CPA Day or you’ve attended for years, we'll make sure you'll have the support and resources you need to confidently advocate for the profession or simply listen and learn alongside your group.
Once at the Capitol, participants will be grouped with key FICPA leadership or staff to hold meetings with legislators from their region, sharing firsthand the value and contributions of CPAs.