SteveH
Where's my Mai Tai?
- Joined
- Sep 8, 1999
The draft Report on Past Practices of the Reedy Creek Improvement District by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District has been released. It weighs in around 80 pages for your reading pleasure.
Report on Past Practices of the RCID released
- Thread starter SteveH
- Start date
Brian Noble
Gratefully in Recovery
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2004
I suspect the summary is: "Those guys were bad!"
soniam
Wooden leg named Smith...
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2012
I wonder how many times outrageous accusations will show up, like they were baby sacrificing devil worshippers
rstevens333
Baby Monorail
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2016
I wonder how many times outrageous accusations will show up, like they were baby sacrificing devil worshippers
I blame the parents who leave all those babies behind on It's a Small World. What else is Disney supposed to do with them??
HokieRaven5
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2020
Just something that is developing from this:
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/202...llion-in-back-taxes-but-hes-working-on-a-fix/
Employees at Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Disney World oversight district owe the Internal Revenue Service more than $2 million in back taxes, according to an internal memo obtained by the Orlando Sentinel.
The issue stems from free Disney passes employees and retirees received for years as part of their benefits, district administrator Glen Gilzean wrote in an email Friday to employees explaining the situation.
“It has come to the attention of the district administration that the previous leadership chose not to inform staff about their IRS obligations to pay legally owed taxes on season pass benefits,” Gilzean wrote. “This has resulted in our employees owing over $2 million in income back taxes.”
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District is working to resolve the matter by covering the back taxes owed by employees and retirees and is awaiting a response from the IRS, Gilzean wrote.
“It was a top priority of our leadership team to ensure that our employees are not penalized for previous failures,” he said.
District employees have informed leadership that they were unaware of the tax liability, Matthew Oberly, a district spokesman said in an email.
“CFTOD team members have communicated they appreciate the administration’s willingness to absorb a significant financial burden that accumulated over the past several years,” he said.
Federal law bars the IRS from confirming or denying correspondence in tax-related matters, an IRS spokesman said. Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Roughly 400 people work for the Disney district, which has been at the center of DeSantis’ battle with Disney. His new hand-picked board replaced Disney-friendly members in February, part of a state takeover of what was previously known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
The new board took aim at a perks program that provided theme park passes and Disney discounts to employees. They accused the previous Disney-friendly administration of maintaining an “unethical” program that exclusively benefited Disney over other businesses. But the board faced a backlash from some employees who said the theme park passes were a key factor in their decision to work there.
The Disney perks cost $2.5 million in 2022, according to district officials.
In exchange for ending the program, the board approved a $3,000 yearly stipend. Unionized employees are waiting for that benefit, which is subject to bargaining.
Both the district and the employees could face tax implications if it’s true taxes were never paid on the Disney passes, said Charlotte A. Erdmann, the founding attorney of Orlando Tax Law.
“The Disney passes were likely a taxable benefit, similar to wages or bonuses,” said Erdmann, who is not affiliated with the district and has not reviewed the matter in its entirety. “Due to the nature of the benefit, they were unlike cafeteria plans, medical benefits and other pre-tax benefits. They are also of substantial value.”
If the district pays the tax liability, including that of its employees, the taxpayers would be footing the bill, Erdmann said. Disney and its affiliates pay about 86% of the district’s property taxes.
Gilzean reiterated to employees that he is working to fix the tax issue.
“I understand the stress that outstanding tax issues with the IRS can cause for our team,” Gilzean wrote. “Please be assured that we are diligently working to resolve this matter as soon as possible.”
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/202...llion-in-back-taxes-but-hes-working-on-a-fix/
Employees at Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Disney World oversight district owe the Internal Revenue Service more than $2 million in back taxes, according to an internal memo obtained by the Orlando Sentinel.
The issue stems from free Disney passes employees and retirees received for years as part of their benefits, district administrator Glen Gilzean wrote in an email Friday to employees explaining the situation.
“It has come to the attention of the district administration that the previous leadership chose not to inform staff about their IRS obligations to pay legally owed taxes on season pass benefits,” Gilzean wrote. “This has resulted in our employees owing over $2 million in income back taxes.”
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District is working to resolve the matter by covering the back taxes owed by employees and retirees and is awaiting a response from the IRS, Gilzean wrote.
“It was a top priority of our leadership team to ensure that our employees are not penalized for previous failures,” he said.
District employees have informed leadership that they were unaware of the tax liability, Matthew Oberly, a district spokesman said in an email.
“CFTOD team members have communicated they appreciate the administration’s willingness to absorb a significant financial burden that accumulated over the past several years,” he said.
Federal law bars the IRS from confirming or denying correspondence in tax-related matters, an IRS spokesman said. Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Roughly 400 people work for the Disney district, which has been at the center of DeSantis’ battle with Disney. His new hand-picked board replaced Disney-friendly members in February, part of a state takeover of what was previously known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
The new board took aim at a perks program that provided theme park passes and Disney discounts to employees. They accused the previous Disney-friendly administration of maintaining an “unethical” program that exclusively benefited Disney over other businesses. But the board faced a backlash from some employees who said the theme park passes were a key factor in their decision to work there.
The Disney perks cost $2.5 million in 2022, according to district officials.
In exchange for ending the program, the board approved a $3,000 yearly stipend. Unionized employees are waiting for that benefit, which is subject to bargaining.
Both the district and the employees could face tax implications if it’s true taxes were never paid on the Disney passes, said Charlotte A. Erdmann, the founding attorney of Orlando Tax Law.
“The Disney passes were likely a taxable benefit, similar to wages or bonuses,” said Erdmann, who is not affiliated with the district and has not reviewed the matter in its entirety. “Due to the nature of the benefit, they were unlike cafeteria plans, medical benefits and other pre-tax benefits. They are also of substantial value.”
If the district pays the tax liability, including that of its employees, the taxpayers would be footing the bill, Erdmann said. Disney and its affiliates pay about 86% of the district’s property taxes.
Gilzean reiterated to employees that he is working to fix the tax issue.
“I understand the stress that outstanding tax issues with the IRS can cause for our team,” Gilzean wrote. “Please be assured that we are diligently working to resolve this matter as soon as possible.”
irlandaise
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2022
Gosh, you must be psychic! From the first paragraph of the report:
Claude R. Kirk Jr., the 36th Governor of Florida, signed into law House Bill No. 486, otherwise known as the Reedy Creek Improvement Act. His stroke of the pen formed a special district—one that facilitated the most egregious exhibition of corporate cronyism in modern American history.
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2004
I just looked at the report. As soon as I started I could tell it's really a fair and objective review of the situation.
LuvOrlando
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2006
Whoa, I have no words for what I am reading right now.
How many more of these exist in the US?
How many more of these exist in the US?
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soniam
Wooden leg named Smith...
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2012
Did a fiction writer or script writer do this
It's definitely not the kind of thing that a factual government document should contain.
rstevens333
Baby Monorail
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2016
wait, i know desantis had a disney wedding but as far as i know he only married one person
It is Bridget Ziegler who the governor appointed to the new board because she is so qualified and morally pure.
https://www.newsweek.com/moms-liberty-co-founder-admitting-threesome-sparks-backlash-1849054
starlite_
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2021
I could care less that she had a threesome and had lesbian sex it's her hypocrisy and those that support her and what she targets that deserve shame.
Or should it be, I could not care less.
Whatever Bridget should go have lesbian sex and let her husband watch, but she should leave everyone else alone.
And resign from the board.
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rstevens333
Baby Monorail
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2016
you're right. as long as everyone was happy to be there, the only wrong move is being hypocritical.
BrianL
Doom Buggy Driver
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2013
She is on the board that commissioned the audit that was clearly devised to prop up the CFTOD's stance against the previous administrators.
I think judging the audit on its' merits would be the wiser choice than doing a forensic personality assessment of those involved in commissioning it.
BrianL
Doom Buggy Driver
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2013
Well, based on the audit's merits, the language used within the audit, it clearly has the same stance as those that comissioned it.
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I suppose that is one way to interpret it.
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