2020 How Florida Compares: Taxes

/ Categories: Research, Taxes, Taxpayer Guide

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.  

Expanding Early Childhood Courts in Florida

/ Categories: Research

Florida TaxWatch undertakes this review of Early Childhood Courts to better understand how Early Childhood Courts can provide improved child-parent outcomes while saving taxpayer money. Florida TaxWatch is proud to present the following report to highlight the importance of expanding Early Childhood Courts and to initiate conversation with state policymakers in the upcoming 2021 legislative session and beyond.

Guía del Votante 2020

/ Categories: Research, Voter Guides

Florida TaxWatch tiene el honor de brindar este servicio a los contribuyentes de Florida para ayudar a educar a los votantes sobre las enmiendas que se les presentan en la boleta de este año. La Guía del Votante de 2020 detalla las seis enmiendas presentes en la boleta electoral del 3 de noviembre de 2020, proporciona recomendaciones de TaxWatch sobre la forma de votar junto con el razonamiento de cada recomendación. 

Economic Commentary – The Economic Impact of a Rebounded and Revitalized Space Program on Florida's Space Coast

/ Categories: Research, Economic Development

Last month’s historic achievement does more than simply showcase human ingenuity and exploration; for residents on Florida’s Space Coast, the SpaceX mission signifies an economic rebound ten years in the making. For a local economy once devastated by the Space Shuttle Program’s end and the Great Recession, achievements in the private space industry have promoted a revitalized economy that continues to display an upward trajectory.

Budget Watch - Florida is Facing Large Budget Shortfalls

/ Categories: Research, Budget/Approps

The severe economic contraction brought on by COVID-19 has reduced state revenues significantly. The pandemic is also increasing government costs such as virus response/recovery and assistance to those harmed economically by the public health emergency. This spells trouble for the current and future state budgets.

2020 Florida Taxpayers Voter Guide

To the 2020 Constitutional Amendments

/ Categories: Research, Voter Guides

Florida TaxWatch is honored to provide this service to the taxpayers of Florida in order to help educate voters on the issues before them on this year’s ballot. The 2020 Voter Guide details the six amendments on the November 3, 2020 ballot, provides a TaxWatch recommendation of which way to vote, and the reasoning for each recommendation. 

Amendment 2: Florida's $15 Minimum Wage Initiative

/ Categories: Research, Voter Guides

In this report, Florida TaxWatch examines the potential impacts of raising Florida’s minimum hourly wage to $15 on Florida businesses and taxpayers. Like many amendments, the increased minimum wage comes with both positive and negative impacts. While it would help lift many workers out of poverty and increase wages even for those not making minimum wage, it would also increase the cost of doing business in the state, and the cost of being a consumer in the state.

TaxWatch COVID-19 Taxpayer Task Force

/ Categories: Research, COVID Recovery, Taxes

Made up of public policy professionals, tax and budget experts, and leaders of both small and large businesses, the Task Force was established to identify those areas of state tax policy that could be addressed both immediately and in the long term to provide Florida’s businesses—and their employees and customers—appropriate relief and assistance.

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Florida TaxWatch Provides Analysis of the Governor’s Property Tax Amendment and Legislation, Recommends Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission Lead Debate

Florida TaxWatch Provides Analysis of the Governor’s Property Tax Amendment and Legislation, Recommends Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission Lead Debate

The Florida Legislature is meeting in special session to consider Governor DeSantis’ proposed constitutional amendment and linked legislation to provide significant property tax relief to Florida homeowners. The proposal has many provisions, but the main ones would increase the homestead exemption to $150,000, beginning January 1, 2027, and then increase it to $250,000, beginning January 1, 2028. This exemption will apply to all property taxes. In addition, the cap on the annual increase in the assessment of non-homestead properties would be reduced from 10% to 5%, but this change would not apply to school property tax levies. Any property taxes remaining after the changes would be restricted to being used solely for core services such as public safety, education, infrastructure, debt, and retirement benefits.

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2026 Budget Turkey Watch Report

2026 Budget Turkey Watch Report

Since 1983, Florida TaxWatch has published this annual independent review of the state budget to promote oversight, integrity, and transparency in the appropriations process. This year’s review of Florida’s $114.5 billion budget for FY2026-27 identifies 621 items totaling $829.7 million that qualify as “Budget Turkeys.” In addition to projects that qualify as Budget Turkeys, this report highlights other areas in the budget that contain numerous member projects that, while they do not strictly meet our Budget Turkey criteria, certainly merit extra scrutiny and close gubernatorial review.  These additional 484 projects total $441.1 million.
The principle behind the Budget Turkey Watch Report is simple: taxpayer dollars should be allocated through a transparent, accountable, and deliberative processes. All appropriations, especially projects requested by individual legislators, should be subject to rigorous public review. This is especially important since these are typically projects that are local rather than statewide in scope and are often outside the core functions of state government.

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