TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released 2021 How Florida Compares: Taxes, which includes an analysis of Florida’s state and local tax rates, tax collections, and other government revenues and compares the data to the 49 other states and the national average. The report is part of the taxpayer research institute’s larger How Florida Compares series, providing neutral, nonpartisan information intended to help Floridians better understand their state. 

Locally imposed tourist development taxes (TDTs) play a vital role in Florida counties’ promotion of tourism. Over the years, the Legislature has added more and more authorized uses of this revenue, diluting the funding available for tourism promotion and advertising. The “slippery slope” warning raised by the tourism industry and Florida TaxWatch in the past has become a reality.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida TaxWatch today released its latest report, A Decade of Self-Taxing, providing a comprehensive overview of the $10.8 billion in local taxes and bond issues that voters have approved since 2010. The report further details that Floridians have voted in favor of local tax referenda a total of 142 times – worth $4.8 billion annually – while also passing $6 billion in new bond issues in the last decade.