Good Afternoon Valued Chamber Member,
Florida House and Senate passed Senate Bill 50 and is awaiting the signature of Governor DeSantis. Senate Bill 50 requires online marketplaces located outside of the state to remit sales tax on tangible property. This is not a new tax, but rather puts the burden on these online marketplace retailers to collect and remit that tax instead of the consumer. We are proud to say that Florida is now off the list of being one of only two states in the Country that has not passed this type of legislation.
Additionally, the Florida House and Senate have decided to use the revenue collected from online sales to offset a $713 million dollar tax increase due to increased unemployment compensation taxes. Once the state's unemployment compensation trust fund reaches pre-pandemic levels, they will use the money to reduce the business rent tax taking it from 5.5% to 2%. This is the largest decrease in the business rent tax we have seen since the Boca Chamber has been advocating for its elimination or reduction. Florida is currently the only state in the country that charges a sales tax on commercial leases. To provide prospective on its impact, a 1% reduction in the tax is a savings of over $300 million to the business community. This is a huge win for business and we commend the leadership of House Speaker Sprowls and Senate President Simpson.
Governor DeSantis has signed Executive Order 20-52, delaying the due date on unemployment tax bills to May 31st. This will provide business with much-needed relief at a time when businesses are trying to keep workers employed and their doors open.
As a reminder the IRS has delayed the deadline to file your 2020 taxes to May 17, 2021. Not included in the deadline are taxpayers paying estimated tax payments. Those payments will still need to be received on April 15th. Taxpayers paying estimated tax payments are often self-employed individuals and small business owners, which include sole proprietors, partners, and S-corporation shareholders. Additionally, the extension also now pushes back the Individual Retirement Account (IRA) deadline to May 17th. The extension does not apply to 401K retirement savings accounts.
We are proud to host the Chamber’s second annual Boynton Beach First Responders Awards Luncheon on Friday, April 16th. During this virtual one-hour program, we will recognize and honor a Police Officer, Firefighter, and Paramedic of the Year. These brave professionals have been chosen by their departments for their courageous acts in service to the community of Boynton Beach. Thank you to Baptist Health (Bethesda East & West) for their title sponsorship, as well as ADT and Caron Treatment Centers for their support. Click here to register and support our first responders!
The Chamber’s Education Foundation, known as Golden Bell, is a separate 501c3 charitable non-profit corporation that exists to support the Boca Raton public school system and educational programs that promote business skills and workforce readiness. Having raised and distributed $105,000 last year through a grant process, the foundation has already received 52 grant requests from 22 Boca Raton public schools. The deadline for grant applications was today and the process of grant distribution begins immediately. If you would like to support Boca Raton public schools and ensure all grant requests are awarded click here for more information and to donate.
Looking for a quick way to find an event, register for an event, and receive pop-up notifications of important Chamber, County, City of Boca Raton, and City of Boynton Beach information? Download the Boca Chamber App – found on the App Store and Google Play Store. Keep your Chamber at the tip of your fingers! You can also stay up to date on all Chamber activity by visiting us at bocachamber.com.
We continue to provide you with valuable virtual and in-person experiences. Most virtual programs are recorded and available for you to access on the Boca Chamber’s YouTube Channel. Hit the subscribe button to find out when new content is posted on our channel.
Below is a list of our upcoming virtual and in-person experiences:
4/14 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Lunch and Learn
Sponsored By: iTHINK Financial
Topic: Afraid your college costs will destroy your dream of retirement?
Speakers: Ken Tolchin, CPA
Barbara Miller, Operations Manager/ Director of Student Admission, Greene Education Foundation
Jorge Gonzalez, CMFC, CRPC - Greene Education Foundation
4/15 – 8:00 a.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Coffee Plus
Enjoy this FREE monthly networking opportunity. Grab a cup of coffee, meet new people and give your best 30-second elevator pitch – all before the workday begins!
4/15 – 11:45 a.m. In-Person Successful Women In Business Luncheon
Topic: Social Styles: How to Communicate Effectively
Speaker: Lisa Davis, Managing Partner 1847 Financial
Wyndham Hotel - Boca Raton
1950 Glades Road / Wyndham Way
Boca Raton, FL 33431
4/16 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Boynton Beach First Responders Awards Luncheon
Sponsored By: Baptist Health
Topic: Recognize and honor a Police Officer, Firefighter, and Paramedic of the Year
Topic: PR Series - Part 2: How to Write a Press Release
Speaker: Joanne Polin, President & Founder of Polin Relations
4/20 – 3:00 p.m. Virtual Economic Development Committee Meeting
Topic: What are 35 Mules?
Speaker: Crystal Stiles, Sr. Director, Economic Development
Florida Power & Light
4/21 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual South Health Care Advocacy Network (S.H.A.N.)
Sponsored By: Memorial Health System
Topic: Creating a Dynamic PowerPoint Presentation
Speaker: Sharon Daniel, Virtual Business Coach
Yesterday, during a joint session of the Chamber’s Boca Raton and Boynton Beach Government Affairs Committees, the members heard from Steven Abrams, Executive Director with the South Florida Transportation Authority (Tri-Rail). He shared that although the agency is currently running 18 trains daily, down from 46 previously due to COVID, ridership hit its peak prior to the pandemic in 2019 with close to 1 million riders. That level of ridership is equivalent to taking one lane of traffic off the roads. Stressing the safety protocols put into place during COVID, he encouraged more residents to experience the stress-free and environmentally conscious way to travel. Under Steven’s leadership, we are fortunate to have a public transportation system equal to those in larger cities.
Our members continue to make long lasting connections and partnerships through our many networking opportunities. These experiences motivate us to continue to provide our members with the best possible opportunity to succeed. We are seeking members who are willing to share a positive experience or new connection they made through the Chamber. Email Sarah Pearson with your Chamber story and please include your name and business organization. These mini stories will be considered for inclusion in an upcoming issue of our quarterly Connection Magazine.
Together, we will continue to Move Business Forward in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and South Palm Beach County, making our region the best place to Live, Work, Learn and Play.
Moving Business Forward,
