Poll Results: Majority of Florida Voters Support E-Fairness Legislation

Sixty-three percent of respondents agree out-of-state retailers should collect online sales taxes

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida TaxWatch and Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy, Inc. today released the results of a February 2021 poll, which indicate 63 percent of Floridians support e-fairness legislation that would require out-of-state retailers to collect online sales taxes. Currently, the burden falls on consumers, which costs Florida’s state and local governments over $1.3 billion a year, while also putting in-state retailers at a competitive disadvantage. For these reasons, this is an issue that Florida TaxWatch has been engaged in for more than a decade.

Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro said, “This isn’t a new issue, and it’s not a new tax, but it’s more important now than ever before to follow the majority of states that have enforced the Wayfair ruling. Florida is experiencing an unprecedented budget deficit, and enacting e-fairness legislation could go a long way in reducing other burdensome taxes – such as the Business Rent Tax (BRT) and the Communication Services Tax (CST) – bolstering our economy, and positioning the state to be as successful as possible in the post COVID-19 era. That’s why two-thirds of voters believe it’s critical we pursue this opportunity to collect the online sales taxes that are legally owed.” 

Florida is one of only two states in the nation that did not respond to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling (South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc.) that states can apply reasonable requirements for retailers to collect taxes on online sales to residents even if the retailer does not have a physical presence in the state. This ruling alone proves that the tax is not new – it’s one that is already codified, just not enforced – explaining the bipartisan support for HB 15 by Rep. Chuck Clemons (R-Newberry) and SB 50 by Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota).

This sentiment is further evidenced by these poll results:

·         Democrats: Sixty-one percent of Democrat respondents support e-fairness legislation, with 21 percent opposed and 18 percent undecided

·         Republicans: For Republican respondents, 67 percent support e-fairness legislation, with 23 percent opposed and 10 percent undecided

·         Independents: Independents responded with 61 percent in support of e-fairness legislation, with 28 percent opposed and 11 percent undecided

The poll was conducted by Mason-Dixon out of Jacksonville via landline and cell phone from Feb. 24 to Feb. 28, 2021. A total of 625 registered Florida voters were interviewed live with a margin of error at +/- 4 percent.

A detailed breakdown of the results can be found in the provided attachment and will also be discussed during Florida TaxWatch’s State of the Taxpayer Day virtual event this Friday, March 5, 2021 from 1 to 3 p.m. To register, please click here.

For more information about Florida TaxWatch’s work on e-fairness, click here or here.