FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Mon., April 21, 2025
CONTACT: Christina Johnson, christina@on3pr.com, 850.391.5040
Tallahassee, Fla. – Florida TaxWatch announced that today, Mon., April 21, is Florida Taxpayer Independence Day 2025. This symbolic occasion assumes that every dollar Floridians earned since the start of the year goes to pay local, state, and federal taxes, but on that day, they will finally begin earning money for themselves instead of the tax collector. Based on the relative size of all taxes paid in Florida to the state’s total personal income, it took taxpayers an average of 110 days to pay their taxes this year, which fell on the same day in 2024.
Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro said, “While Floridians, on average, saw their income grow enough to meet the tax bills, rising prices and insurance premiums have squeezed paychecks, and many are finding it more difficult to pay taxes. April 21 may be the symbolic day Floridians have earned enough for their tax obligations, but paying taxes is a year-round effort, with local governments receiving property tax payments in the fall, federal taxes taken out of every paycheck, and the collection of state sales tax can be an everyday affair.”
Florida TaxWatch Executive Vice President and General Counsel Jeff Kottkamp said, “In observing Florida Taxpayer Independence Day, the actions of the 2025 Legislature may also have a big impact on when future Taxpayer Independence Days arrive, with the current conversation in reducing property taxes, and the possibility of even eliminating or replacing it. While this action would require a constitutional amendment, Florida TaxWatch welcomes the conversation and is thankful for the prudent decision making and sound fiscal policies enacted by our State’s leaders.”
Florida lawmakers will be cutting taxes again this year, but the magnitude of those cuts is uncertain. Floridians will likely see record tax relief. The Senate is proposing a tax package centered around a $900 million sales tax exemption for clothing and shoes. The total package would save taxpayers $2 billion in the first year, with recurring savings of $946 million. This would be a record amount of tax relief, but the House wants to go even further. It is recommending a .75 percent reduction in the sales tax (from 6.0 percent to 5.25 percent) worth $5.4 billion in recurring savings.
State Taxes – Better than anticipated revenue collections have continued unabated in Florida for more than four years. Corporate income tax collections increased even faster, rising from $2.2 billion in FY2017-18 to $5.7 billion in FY2023-24. This was due to the tax base expansion measures passed by Congress and largely adopted by the Legislature. Even with the Legislature significantly cutting taxes year after year and the General Revenue Estimating Conference increasing its projections ten times, actual collections beat those estimates for 54 straight months. In January, the streak was broken, as collections came in $31.4 million below the estimate for the month. However, the estimate was topped again in February.
Local Taxes – Property taxes are local governments’ largest tax source, providing over 80 percent of the tax revenue for counties, cities, school districts, and special districts. Revenue from this source has been skyrocketing, thanks to escalating property values. While statewide average millage rates have been decreasing slightly, local governments have not been rolling back rates enough to avoid big property tax increases. Collections have increased by almost 40 percent in just three years. As a result, property taxes have become the largest tax source for all of Florida government, both state and local.
Federal Taxes – Federal tax collections have the biggest impact on Taxpayer Independence Day since they comprise 72 percent of all taxes paid by Floridians. Personal income and payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare) provide more than 80 percent of all federal tax revenue. Federal taxes have also been volatile, rising 44.7 percent in two years (2020 to 2022), only to fall in 2023 by 3.4 percent. This was due to the postponement of some tax payments from 2023 to 2024.
According to Florida TaxWatch:
- Florida’s total tax burden (federal, state and local) totals an estimated $499.9 billion in 2025, or $21,495 per capita. This is 30.2 percent of personal income.
- Federal taxes make up 71 percent of Floridian’s total burden, state taxes account for 15 percent and local taxes make up 14 percent.
- Over the last 10 years, the total taxes paid by Floridians have increased by 97.2 percent. Local taxes have grown the most (105.3 percent), followed by federal taxes (103.3 percent), and state taxes (66.1 percent).
- For the average Florida household, earning enough to pay its taxes takes a little more than three and a half months. Looking at it another way, you have to work approximately 2 hours and 24 minutes of each 8-hour workday to earn enough to pay taxes.
- Taxes are a family’s single largest expense.
- Florida’s state government tax burden is one of the lowest in the nation, while the local government burden is much closer to the national average.
More information, including the methodology for determining taxpayer independence, can be accessed in the Florida Taxpayer Independence Day 2025 briefing here.
About Florida TaxWatch
As an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit government watchdog and taxpayer research institute, and the trusted “eyes and ears” of Florida taxpayers for more than 45 years, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) works to improve the productivity and accountability of Florida government. Its research recommends productivity enhancements and explains the statewide impact of fiscal and economic policies and practices on taxpayers and businesses. FTW is supported by its membership via voluntary, tax-deductible donations and private grants. Donations provide a solid, lasting foundation that has enabled FTW to bring about a more effective, responsive government that is more accountable to, and productive for, the taxpayers it has served since 1979. For more information, please visit www.floridataxwatch.org.
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