Florida House Proposes Historic Sales Tax Cut: Aims for 5.25% Rate

The Florida House of Representatives has announced a proposal for what they are calling "the largest tax cut in state history." Speaker Daniel Perez stated the aim is to reduce the sales tax rate from 6% to 5.25%. Perez estimates this cut would provide nearly $5 billion in annual savings to Florida residents. He emphasized that Florida could become the only state in the nation to permanently reduce its sales tax rate. Perez also addressed concerns about state spending, stating, "Tax dollars don't belong to the government, they belong to the people." The proposed House budget aims to be lower than both the Governor's proposal and the previous year's budget, marking the first time since the Great Recession that the state would spend less than the prior fiscal year. He clarified that this is not a temporary measure but a permanent tax reduction, intended to improve affordability for Floridians by returning money to the people.