Hillsborough residents start getting refunds for overturned transportation tax

Catch up quick: In 2018, Hillsborough voters approved a 1% sales tax, with the revenue earmarked for transportation projects that reduced congestion, fixed potholes and expanded the width of interstates.

• Florida's high court found the tax unconstitutional because it limited how the Board of County Commissioners could use the proceeds. The ruling didn't address what to do with the millions collected.
• Last year, state lawmakers came up with a plan to divide the cash three ways: $256 million for road projects, $171 million for legal costs and refunds, and $162 million for a sales tax holiday.

The big picture: Anyone who lived in Hillsborough County and paid the sales tax between Jan. 1, 2019, and March 15, 2021, was eligible for a refund but had to file a claim before the Dec. 31 cutoff.

• To get a full refund of their tax payments, residents had to show receipts or other proof of what they had spent.
• Nearly 400,000 claims were submitted.

What's next: Residents who filed should keep an eye on the mailbox for an envelope from the Hillsborough County Surtax Settlement Program.