The TaxWatch Research Blog

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released its 2019 edition of the How Florida Compares: Taxes report. The FTW How Florida Compares: Taxes report is an easy-to-use guide to help Floridians better understand their state through comparing Florida’s taxes to those that are levied across the nation. The report, which is part of FTW’s larger How Florida Compares series, provides nonpartisan information on where Florida ranks and contains nearly 40 tables, graphs, and charts that provide a comprehensive look at tax collections and other government revenues for all 50 states.

LAKELAND, Fla. – Florida TaxWatch (FTW) this afternoon awarded more than 130 state employees based throughout Central Florida with TaxWatch Productivity Awards (TPA) during a ceremony held at the Lone Palm Golf Club in Lakeland. The TPA program is celebrating 30 years of recognizing and rewarding the dedication of the state’s workforce who find ways to improve services, increase efficiencies, and save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year. The awards were presented by Kyra Solutions, Inc.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Florida TaxWatch (FTW) this afternoon awarded more than 150 state employees based throughout South Florida with TaxWatch Productivity Awards (TPA) during a ceremony held at The Westin Fort Lauderdale. The TPA program is celebrating 30 years of recognizing and rewarding the dedication of the state’s workforce who find ways to improve services, increase efficiencies, and save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year. The awards were presented by Kyra Solutions, Inc.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida TaxWatch (FTW) this evening awarded more than 200 state employees with TaxWatch Productivity Awards (TPA) during a ceremony held at FSU’s Turnbull Center in Tallahassee. The TPA program is celebrating 30 years of recognizing and rewarding the dedication of the state’s workforce who find ways to improve services, increase efficiencies, and save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year. The awards were presented by Kyra Solutions, Inc.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida TaxWatch (FTW) today released its Education Leadership Roundtable Summary Report, which explores ways to improve the overall quality of Pre-K - 12 education by examining the “best practices” of some of the state’s most effective public-school principals. The summary report includes key strategies for success discussed during the Friday, May 24 FTW Education Roundtable in Orlando, along with supporting research and key takeaways.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida TaxWatch (FTW) today released the 2019 Budget Watch Report, following the Wednesday, August 14 General Revenue (GR) Estimating Conference, which met to develop a new revenue forecast for the state. The FTW report provides an independent analysis of the top issues discussed: Indian gaming revenue, Florida’s weaker economic forecast and the impact of the corporate income tax (CIT) reimbursements.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida TaxWatch (FTW) today announced the winners of the 2019 TaxWatch Productivity Awards (TPA), which is celebrating 30 years of recognizing and rewarding the dedication and hard work of state employees who find ways to improve services, increase efficiencies and save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year. The awards program is presented by Kyra Solutions, Inc. 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) along with elected leaders from Leon County and the City of Tallahassee highlighted the need for community participation in the 2020 Census. As the third largest and fourth fastest growing state in the country, the upcoming Federal Census count will be more important to the Sunshine State than nearly any other state. Federal grant programs distribute $700 billion using census data. If Florida is under-represented by the count, it could cost the state millions, or even billions, of dollars. Florida’s state and local officials need to immediately start ensuring the accuracy of the count by participating in existing intergovernmental processes to verify addresses and residences. 

The following statement is to be attributed to Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro, relating to today’s release of Governor DeSantis’ Budget Vetoes.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released the Budget Turkey Watch Report, its annual independent review of the state’s FY2019-20 budget. The report promotes additional oversight and integrity in Florida’s budgeting process and is based on the principle that because money appropriated by the Legislature belongs to the taxpayers of Florida, the process must be transparent and accountable, and every appropriation should receive proper deliberation and public debate. 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, in honor of the TaxWatch Productivity Awards (TPA) program’s 30^th year, a Cabinet Resolution, sponsored by Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, officially designated July 2019 as “TaxWatch Productivity Awards Recognition Month.”

ORLANDO, Fla. – On Thursday, May 23, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) recognized nine of Florida’s most effective leaders in high-risk K-12 public schools during the 2018-19 Principal Leadership Awards (PLA) Dinner in Orlando. Three principals, one selected from each category (elementary, middle and high school) took home top honors. Florida TaxWatch established the PLA program in 2013, to recognize and reward the work of principals, and promote their unique practices throughout the state.

The following statement is to be attributed to Dominic M. Calabro, Florida TaxWatch President and CEO, relating to the Halifax Hospital Taxing District Legislation.

Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro released the following statement regarding Senator Jeff Brandes' Florida First Step Act –

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – On Sunday, April 14, Floridians will celebrate the first day of the year where taxpayers are finally earning money for themselves and not for the tax collector. Taxpayer Independence Day, calculated by Florida TaxWatch, accepts that every dollar earned since January 1 goes to pay federal, state, and local obligations. This year, it will take the average Florida family 103 out of 365 days - or almost three and a half months - to satisfy its tax obligations. Looking at it another way, it takes two hours and 15 minutes of every eight-hour workday to earn enough to pay your taxes.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida’s premier, independent government watchdog of forty years, Florida TaxWatch, has released a new research report about the state’s affordable housing crisis. In the Sunshine State, there are only 26 affordable and available housing units for every 100 “extremely low-income” renter households. This is the sixth-smallest percentage of available units in the nation and well below the national average of 36 percent.

Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro released the following statement regarding public investment in FloridaMakes –

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida TaxWatch today released a new ‘Session Spotlight’ briefing encouraging the Florida Legislature to address inequities facing Florida-based business and taxpayers. The briefing by Florida’s premier independent government watchdog of 40 years urges the Legislature to take advantage of the opportunity to resolve the problem of uncollected sales taxes on remote sales, provided by the U.S. Supreme Court decision made last year in their Wayfair decision. In addition to the Session Spotlight briefing, Florida TaxWatch has also released a report, authored by Bob Goldman of Dean, Mead, and Dunbar, that goes further in-depth on the issue.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Since the enactment of the Communications Services Tax (CST) Simplification Act in 2001, Florida TaxWatch has released several reports recommending that the Legislature reduce this burdensome and highly regressive tax on consumers. A new report by Florida’s premier independent government watchdog of forty years addresses Florida’s very high CST rate and the impact it has on the state and the taxpayers.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A new report by Florida’s premier independent taxpayer research institute of forty years, Florida TaxWatch, provides an update of the true average cost of educating a K-12 public school student in Florida. The government watchdog previously released a similar independent study in March 2017 that considered all categories of expenditures necessary for the operation of public schools.

As the Financial Impact Statement notes, there are a number of revenue implications with the proposed electricity deregulation ballot amendment. The direction and magnitude of these were all analyzed by Florida TaxWatch, and are described in some detail in the longer Financial Impact Statement, but were unfortunately not clearly shown as significantly negative in the 75-word statement that will accompany the initiative on the ballot should it reach that point.  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida College System (FCS), which encompasses 28 institutions, is the primary access point to undergraduate education for more than 800,000 Floridians, including approximately 63 percent of recent high school graduates and returning adult students. In addition, the FCS compares very favorably with similar systems in other states, according to the number of Aspen Institute award winners and top ranking (2^nd nationally) by U.S. News and World Report.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A new briefing by Florida’s premier independent government watchdog, Florida TaxWatch, addresses two important taxpayer safeguards that are currently under fire. Legislation has been filed again this session to allow for their posting on the web to be sufficient notice, rather than placing the notice in a local newspaper (Notice of Proposed Tax Increase and other legal notices) or delivering by first class mail (TRIM Notice).

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A new report by Florida’s premier independent government watchdog, Florida TaxWatch, finds that increasing access to palliative care can play an important role in improving patients’ quality of life and reducing healthcare spending.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida’s premier, independent government watchdog of forty years, Florida TaxWatch, has released an independent analysis about the point-of-care testing and treatment of influenza and streptococcus. Legislation has been proposed that would permit pharmacists to diagnose and treat influenza and strep at community pharmacies, using point-of-care tests that have approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This has the potential to allow better patient experiences, improve the quality of care, and most importantly, encourage patients to take greater control of their medical conditions.