Where and how well our school districts spend our education dollars can have a profound impact on student academic achievement and success. Historically, education makes up about one-fourth of Florida’s total budget. Florida TaxWatch believes that shifting education spending away from administrative and other expenses and toward classroom/instructional expenses is beneficial.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, September 19, 2025 CONTACT: Christina Johnson Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch released “Options to Eliminate or Reduce the Property Tax Burden on Florida Homeowners” primer,
Florida has proven ideas, demonstrated wins, and active tools; now it needs permanence. By embedding efficiency into the annual budget cycle—backed by transparent tracking and regular reporting—the state can convert sporadic initiatives into sustained savings and better service delivery for taxpayers.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, August 28, 2025 CONTACT: Christina Johnson Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch released a report Government Efficiency Should Not Be Something We Only Do Every
Florida TaxWatch is pleased to present taxpayers with a guide to the FY2024-25 state budget, which went into effect July 1, 2024. The 2024 Legislature appropriated a total of $118.6 billion for FY2024-25. This Budget Guide includes all appropriations for the new fiscal year— the General Appropriations Act (GAA), “back-of-the-bill” spending, and appropriations made in general bills—net of the Governor’s vetoes.
If you are looking for a wild ride in the legal system, Florida is the place to be. Florida has taken significant steps to mitigate the effects of the state’s tort environment, specifically as it relates to the challenging property insurance marketplace. The legislature convened in May and December 2022 to pass crucial legislation (Senate Bill 2D and Senate Bill 2A) intended to help the marketplace heal from frivolous lawsuits, insurance company insolvencies, and issues resulting from natural catastrophes. (For perspective, Florida makes up 79 percent of homeowners insurance lawsuits nationwide, but only accounts for 9 percent of all homeowners insurance claims). Yet there is still a great deal of room for improvement.
The annual Florida TaxWatch How Florida Compares: Taxes report ranks Florida’s state and local taxes against those levied around the nation. The nearly 40 tables, charts, and graphs in this report provide comprehensive information on state and local tax rates, tax collections, and other government revenues for all 50 states, and historical information for Florida.
Florida’s housing market is raging, with growth in property values not seen since the housing bubble. Property appraisers certified the state’s taxable value for 2022 on July 1 and these values are currently being used by local governments and school districts in setting new property tax rates and developing budgets for FY 2022-23. The growth in property values has set the stage for what could be significant tax increases for Florida’s citizens and businesses.
Have you ever wondered how Florida’s taxes stack up against the taxes in other states? If so, this report is for you.
This report is part of our larger How Florida Compares series, which is intended to help Floridians better understand their state through data. This report, like each report in this series, provides neutral, nonpartisan information on where Florida ranks compared to our 49 sister states and the national average.
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