Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently suggested offsetting other revenue losses by targeting tourists who vacation in the Sunshine State.
Florida Citrus mural in Disney Springs
During an appearance in Palm Bay, DeSantis responded to a question by saying, “Tax the tourists. Tax some of the foreigners,” according to the Orlando Sentinel.
The governor has been calling for increasing the homestead exemption or potentially even eliminating property taxes altogether in Florida, which he believes could be balanced by increasing taxes on visitors to the state.
©Governor Ron DeSantis Website
“You have the ability in some of those areas that draw a lot of people to shift the tax burden away from your own people to people that are not residents of Florida,” DeSantis continued. “I think that would be a better tax system than constantly having people pay higher property taxes.”
Skeptics argue that the state would have to increase sales taxes to make up for lost revenue.
©Governor Ron DeSantis Website
DeSantis said he’d be willing to work with “fiscally constrained” rural counties to offset the impact of property tax cuts. He shared, “They don’t have the same luxury that a Broward County would have or a Miami-Dade County would have when you have people that are flooding down there.”
His plan is to economically “juice” rural areas by supporting efforts to land automotive manufacturing plants in Florida. “I would say, pay no tax for 10 years, like no corporate tax if you’re starting a business, if you’re doing manufacturing there,” DeSantis said of the potential plan.
Flavors of Florida
In addition, House Speaker Daniel Perez (R-Miami) proposed decreasing the state sales tax rate from 6 percent to 5.26 percent. Perez said that this reduction would include a decrease in the state’s commercial lease tax and that he remains open to proposing a property tax vote in 2026.
As of now, there is no official (public) plan to increase taxes on tourists, but we’ll let you know if that changes.
Obtained via ClickOrlando Livestream
We’ll be on the lookout for more updates regarding this potential new tax implication and how it could impact Florida travel. In the meantime, make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for more Disney and travel news!
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I’m already holding my nose when coming to FL because of their right wing idiocy. If we didn’t have DVC, we wouldn’t be visiting at all. If DeSantis’s plans to tax the tourists even more than we are already taxed, we will sell our points and spend our money elsewhere.
I have traveled to Florida for over 40 years now and this is not new. And all of my receipts over the decades reflect it too! Taxing tourists was put into place many decades ago.
It would be GREAT if he can kill property taxes for Florida. I have been watching the market DAILY since Yr. 2020 and have seen Florida property taxes starting to match the state of Texas. We are dying over here so if he can get rid of property taxes then be happy about it!
We already feel unwelcome in Florida and with the current administration oozing hate and bad will, De Santis proclaiming “tax the tourists” has done it for us. Our AP’s, due to expire in a few days won’t be renewed. We’re currently vacationing here and it will be our last.
Thanks so much for DFB! Love it and wore our “Nuttin’ but Trouble” tees to EPCOT the other day!
Keep up the great work!
Apparently the crazy governor can’t recall that Florida was built on tourists. Amazing how the Republican party fails to understand basic economics. With the direction the economy is heading, travel will be decreased. On top of what will be challenging economic time for Americans, you then want to tax visitors more rather than find was to incentivize visitation? Florida already has property taxes below the national average. I live someone where the property taxes are more the 3X what they are for the average Floridian.
That our Gov chase away the visitor that keep all out business run smooth.
LOL This guy. Look, we’re already not going to the U.S. There’s not that much good about Florida to begin with, and now he wants to tax the people who do come ready to spend their money? I can’t even.
Just when you thought Rhonda Santis couldn’t get any dumber…
Well, if this comes to pass, that’ll be the end of my trips to Florida. I’ll just get my Disney fix in California.
C’mon, Avengers Campus DCA – hurry up and put in your Guardians-coaster clone already! And maybe start working on a TRON coaster as well – that way I’ll never have to return to FL, and won’t miss it at all.
Apparently, you can be governor without knowing that there is already a 6% tourist tax on hotel rooms, on top of which visitors pay 6.5 – 7% county sales tax. That means I am already paying tax of at least $160 and up for a week’s stay just for my value resort room. Go ahead, keep raising taxes on visitors, and not even WDW and Universal will be able to save your budget. The people of the state need better solutions to their issues, not just trying to get someone else to pay. With almost 10% of the jobs in Florida reliant on tourism and visitors already contributing over $300 million/day to Florida’s economy, this doesn’t seem like a smart move.
Oh, sure! And keep giving Florida residents half price tickets to the Parks. Don’t Florida residents already don’t pay state tax? Hurt the tourists. As if they don’t already take advantage of us!
Well, who needs those property taxes anyway. They just go for building and maintaining roads and water and infrastructure anyway. What a big waste of money…in Florida anyway….
At least he can’t run again. Maybe, if a Democrat gets elected, things will return to normal.