Jacob Ogles
A majority of voters say it’s time for Florida’s business rent tax to be evicted.
That’s according to a Florida Chamber of Commerce poll that found a large appetite for tax cuts at the state and local level.
For the business rent tax in particular, about 53% of voters are ready to see that levy go. Florida remains the only state in the union to charge a tax on rent for businesses, and business groups have long prioritized its elimination.
“With all Florida has done right, opportunities remain at the state level to make our tax environment even more competitive,” said Mark Wilson, President and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
“Most notably, the state should eliminate the business rent tax or sales tax on commercial leases, which places Florida businesses at a disadvantage compared to businesses in every other state. The Florida Chamber has been working for nearly a decade to reduce this Florida-only tax from 6% to 2%, and hopes this is the year this burdensome tax on local businesses is repealed once and for all.”
Working on behalf of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Tallahassee-based Cherry Communications spoke with 605 likely voters by phone May 2-10. The sample size included 264 Republicans, 218 Democrats and 123 third- and no-party residents. The poll had a 4-percentage-point margin of error.
The poll also found 57% support for making federal tax cuts first approved during President Donald Trump’s first term permanent, instead of letting the reductions expire this year.
That includes 87% of Republicans and 55% of voters with no party affiliation. It also includes 23% of Democrats, despite Trump’s association with the cuts.
The tax cuts are part of a budget resolution under consideration in the U.S. House and largely survived a marathon markup Session in Washington this week, according to the Tax Foundation.
Extending the cuts in full, according to the independent group, would mean a $4.5 trillion loss in revenue from 2025 through 2034. But it’s expected to spur growth in the nation’s gross domestic product, offsetting $710 billion in losses.
The latest version in the House could cut revenue $4 trillion over the same time frame while generating the same economic growth and offset in revenue losses.
