The Soto Law Group, P.A.

DBPR’S EMERGENCY RULE ALLOWS GENERAL, BUILDING, AND RESIDENTIAL CONTRACTORS TO DO RE-ROOFING To our clients who are hard at work in repairing the damages of Hurricane Irma, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation has declared an emergency rule permitting general, building, and residential contractors to do re-roofing in FEMA identified disasters zones. This is an opportunity for your company to gain some additional business while serving your community that’s in need of relief. The Disaster Contractors Network; register and select the areas in which you are available to provide services: http://www.dcnonline.org/ The DBPR Emergency Order: http://files.constantcontact.com/de700d13601/9dc735f5-4bc6-4c12-8890-d6987b4377b9.pdf

APPLY FOR ASSISTANCE – www.fema.gov After Hurricane Irma’s devastation, FEMA is accepting applications for Individual Assistance; you will not be required to pay back FEMA. You may be referred to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for a low interest disaster loan; if you qualify, you will be required to pay back the loan. Stay Safe. Please visit: https://www.fema.gov/apply-assistance for instructions; https://www.disasterassistance.gov/ for application; https://www.sba.gov/loans-grants/see-what-sba-offers/sba-loan-programs/disaster-loans for SBA loan application

TAX RELIEF FOR VICTIMS OF HURRICANE IRMA IN FLORIDA – www.irs.gov To our clients who reside or have a business in the counties affected by Hurricane Irma, the IRS has declared extensions for filing tax returns, paying taxes and for other time-sensitive acts. Certain deadlines on or after September 4, 2017 and before January 31, 2018, are now postponed through January 31, 2018. Please see link for further details; you may qualify for relief: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-relief-for-victims-of-hurricane-irma-in-florida

REVISION TO THE I-9   Last month, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released its most recent revised version of the I-9 form, also known as the Employment Eligibility Verification Form. The new I-9 can be found here: https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/revised-form-i-9-now-available . Employers can immediately switch over to the revised version or continue using the I-9 with a revision date of 11/14/16 up until September 17, 2017. On September 18, 2017, however, employers must use the revised form with a revision date of 07/17/17 for all new employees. Although the revisions may seem inconsequential, they are designed with the intention of making the form easier to navigate and reduce the number of errors.    Employers must continue following existing storage and retention rules for any previously completed Form I-9 and the rules regarding storage and retention have not changed under the newly revised I-9. Current employees do not have to fill o