How California legislators aim to sweeten film tax credits for Hollywood
California legislators are proposing to increase its film tax credit to cover up to 35% of qualified expenditures for movies and TV series shot in the Los Angeles region, as the state attempts to lure back production.
For productions shot outside of the region — which stretches out to Ontario International Airport, Agua Dulce, Piru and Pomona — there will be an additional 5% to the base tax rate, which means those projects could get a credit of 40%.
These new provisions are part of dual bills in the California State Assembly and Senate aimed at modernizing the state's film and TV tax credit program to make it more competitive with other states and countries, said Assembly Member Rick Chavez Zbur, one of the co-authors. He called it a 'jobs bill.'
'Our advantage here is we've got the soundstages, we've got the skilled workforces,' he said. 'But all the other states are making investments. The longer we go without making our program competitive, what we're doing is we're basically helping other states with workforce development programs that make them more and more competitive with us.'
California currently provides a 20% to 25% tax credit to offset qualified production expenses, such as money spent on film crews and building sets. Production companies can apply the credit toward any tax liabilities they have in California.
Boosting the tax credit to 35% brings California more in line with the caps set by other states that have successfully lured Hollywood productions in recent years. Georgia, for example, provides up to a 30% credit for productions.
The bump also was an effort to help California stay competitive with other states, such as Georgia, which allow all expenditures to be covered by the tax rate. Since California's tax credit will apply only to below-the-line costs, increasing the amount beyond what's offered in Georgia will allow the Golden State's program to 'be roughly equivalent,' Zbur said.
In addition to the tax credit increase, the proposed legislation would expand the criteria for projects to qualify for an incentive.
Under this proposal, qualified productions now would include animated films, shorts and series, as well as scripted series in which episodes run at least 20 minutes and certain 'large-scale competition shows' that generate a lot of jobs, such as 'Dancing With the Stars,' Zbur said. (Traditional reality shows, game or talk shows or documentary TV programming won't qualify.)
Some aspects of the program are still being negotiated, including the criteria for independent films and ways to encourage the employment of underrepresented communities.
The new details come about a month after Zbur, Assemblymember Isaac Bryan and state Sen. Ben Allen first announced the two bills, which they are co-sponsoring. At the time, the legislators said the details of the bills were still being worked out by stakeholders.
Gov. Gavin Newsom last year proposed an increase to the state's film and TV tax credit program. That proposal would more than double the money allocated annually to the program in an attempt to help California better compete with other states' tax incentives.
The proposed $750 million will have to be passed as part of the state's budget adoption process; the legislators' bills lay out the terms of how that amount will be spent and allocated.
California's film and TV tax credit program has created nearly 200,000 jobs and generated $26 billion in statewide economic activity, Allen said during a February press conference. But more projects apply to the program than there are awards, and more than 75% of projects that get rejected for a tax credit go elsewhere, he said at the time.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Tax Breaks: The New Chapter Is Beginning At The IRS Edition
It's a new chapter at the IRS. getty The traditional individual tax filing season ended two months ago (those of us on extension still have a few months to go), but the IRS is still in the news. Most notably, the Senate has confirmed Billy Long as the new commissioner of the IRS (you can read more about that in a bit as part of our Deeper Dive below). How Long's tenure might impact the future of the IRS and tax administration is still a question, but far from the only one. Still to be determined? What the tax picture might look like during the next filing season for millions of taxpayers. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) passed the House in May and moved to the Senate, where the White House hoped for a quick approval. Nearly a month later, there's been no real movement. A vote hasn't yet been scheduled, and it's looking very unlikely that the bill will be signed into law by July 4, President Trump's target date (a fact that Trump recently acknowledged). The biggest obstacle in the Senate may not be Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) or stalwart deficit hawk Rand Paul (R-Ky.), but rather Elizabeth MacDonough. The name may not ring a bell, but MacDonough has been a fixture in the Senate for over a decade, serving as the Senate Parliamentarian. The Parliamentarian advises on procedural matters and guides precedent. That includes sorting out what's allowed during the debate, amendment, and voting processes. That matters here because reconciliation bills (like OBBBA) are subject to special rules in the Senate. Since those rules can be tricky, the Parliamentarian helps determine what is—and isn't—allowed, especially when it comes to interpreting the Byrd Rule, which imposes limits on what can be in reconciliation bills. If the Parliamentarian determines a provision in a bill violates the Byrd Rule, the provision must be removed from the bill unless the Senators vote to waive the rule—that requires 60 votes, instead of the lower 51 vote majority allowed for reconciliation. As currently written, OBBBA would deliver an average tax cut of almost $80,000 next year to those in the top one percent. That's 40 times the tax relief going to middle-income families who struggle with the costs of housing, food, and raising children. This windfall for the wealthy would be paid for through cuts to health insurance, Pell grants, and food aid for millions of lower income American families. The bill is far from finalized. Elaine Maag writes that the Senate still has time to deliver on the pro-family promises made by many Republican leaders by amending the budget bill to provide economic relief for all families. Key senators, she notes, including Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) have already put forward plans that would do so. One OBBBA provision targeted to families is the creation of the Trump Accounts. If the bill passes, these savings accounts will be funded by the federal government and will provide each baby born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, with $1,000. The initial set of rules associated with the accounts is complicated–getting it right is crucial if the accounts are to be successful. Not all of the work in Congress this week focused on future budgets – the House of Representatives voted to rescind $9.4 billion in funding for the National Public Radio (NPR), the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The bill, proposed by President Trump, does not focus on approving new dollars, but instead targets a clawback of previously approved funds, a move known as rescission. Not all deal-making was happening in Congress: U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken has approved a settlement between the NCAA and lawyers representing college athletes. While the details are nuanced, the key takeaway is that schools can now begin paying athletes directly. While this is the first time that college athletes can receive direct payments from their schools, athletes have been receiving millions of dollars through name, image, and likeness (NIL) payments and endorsements in recent years. While these significant cash flows for the college athletes can be financially beneficial, they also carry tremendous tax burdens. College athletes aren't the only sports figures to navigate tricky wins. The U.S. Open continues to represent one of golf's biggest prizes. While any golfer would give whatever it takes to take home this year's trophy (the first-place prize is expected to be $4.3 million), there is an extra layer of incentive this year that makes it even more beneficial relative to future years: taxes. Athletes must pay state and local income taxes in the jurisdictions where they earn the money–sometimes referred to as a jock tax. This year, the U.S. Open will be held at Oakmont Country Club, located in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Luckily for those golfers, my own state of Pennsylvania boasts one of the lowest state income tax rates in the country, with a flat rate of 3.07% for 2025. This means that, absent any other deductions, the winner of the $4.3 million prize will only pay approximately $132,010 in state income taxes on the winnings. That's not a bad take-home pay for a few days' work. The U.S. Open kicks off this weekend–hopefully, the weather holds. There are a few other key happenings over the next few days, including a notable birthday (Happy birthday, Mom!). Enjoy your weekend, Kelly Phillips Erb (Senior Writer, Tax) Is the price you pay the price you can claim as a deduction when donating clothes to charity? It's complicated. getty This week, a taxpayer asked: I love to shop. Sometimes, when I'm in the store, I'll pick up something on clearance to donate to the local women's shelter. I get some excellent deals. I've always thought that I could deduct the value of the item (Coach is still Coach even if it's on sale), but my daughter says that I can only deduct what I paid. Who is right? Normally, it's true that if you contribute property to charity, the amount of your deduction is generally the fair market value (FMV) of the property at the time of the contribution. FMV is the price a willing buyer would pay a willing seller for the item in its current condition in the marketplace. In this case, the clothing is new, so the key is whether you paid a genuinely discounted price—or whether the item was actually worth the lower price that you paid. Here's an example. Let's say you bought a coat that sells for $200, but you paid $50. If the coat normally sells for $200 and is brand new, and this was a one-time sale, the FMV may be close to $200. However, if the coat is available for sale for $50 in many stores, or if it's out of style or out of season, then $50 may be the true FMV. But remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There's even a Tax Court case on this issue. In Grainger. v. Commissioner, Estelle Grainger was a grandmother who also liked to shop—especially at Talbots. She purchased hundreds of items on sale, often using her Talbots discount points. She then donated those clothes to charity and claimed the retail price, not the price she paid. Those deductions were significant: $18,288 in 2010, $32,672 in 2011, and $34,401 in 2012. The IRS challenged the value of the deductions, and Grainger took the matter to Tax Court. For contributions of property, like clothing, you must be able to provide reliable written records that include the name and address of the donee, the date and location of the contribution, and a description of the property. You must also keep records to establish 'the fair market value of the property at the time the contribution was made' as well as the method used to determine the value. Grainger had receipts from Talbots and from the charity where she donated the items. The receipts included some pertinent info: date, location, and the type of gift. Depending on the value of the property, a written appraisal may also be required. Specifically, the tax rules require taxpayers who donate 'similar items of property' with a value exceeding $5,000 to obtain an appraisal to determine the FMV. Grainger didn't do that. So, the IRS allowed her a total deduction of just $6,117 for all three years, the amount she actually paid for clothing she donated to charity. But don't get too excited. The Tax Court noted that even with the appraisal, it wouldn't have helped because, applying the willing buyer and willing seller test, no 'rational buyer' would have paid more for the clothes than what Talbots was charging. There was one more problem with Grainger's deduction scheme. As the Tax Court noted in a footnote, even if Grainger had been able to prove that the clothing was worth more than what she paid, it would not have helped her. Under section 170(e)(1)(A) of the tax code, you must reduce any allowable charitable deduction by "the amount of gain which would not have been long-term capital gain * * * if the property contributed had been sold by the taxpayer at its fair market value (determined at the time of such contribution)." Since Grainger donated all or most of the items shortly after purchasing them, she would have realized short-term capital gain if she had sold them instead. — Do you have a tax question or matter that you think we should cover in the next newsletter? We'd love to help if we can. Check out our guidelines and submit a question here. The IRS uses a variety of resources to identify fraudulent returns, including those filed by identity thieves, and to prevent the issuance of refunds associated with those returns. According to a recent report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), those efforts are paying off–most fraudulent tax returns are stopped before the refund is paid. As of February 22, 2025, the IRS has stopped over $900 million in fraudulent refunds. That number was nearly double from the same time in 2024. The IRS says it is stopping more fraudulent tax returns. Kelly Phillips Erb The IRS attempts to proactively prevent identity theft by issuing Identity Protection Personal Identification Numbers (IP PIN). An identity protection PIN (IP PIN) is a six-digit number issued by the IRS that adds an extra layer of prevention. Think of it like a password – since the IP PIN is only known to you and the IRS, no one else can file your electronic or paper tax return without triggering a warning. The IRS also uses identity theft filters to identify tax returns with characteristics indicative of confirmed identity theft, including amounts claimed for income and withholding, filing requirements, prisoner status, taxpayer age, and filing history. For the 2025 filing season, the IRS used 295 filters to detect potential identity theft tax returns and prevent the issuance of fraudulent refunds. That's more than the 282 filters used in the 2024 Filing Season. Tax returns identified by these filters are held during processing until the IRS can verify the taxpayer's identity, usually with a Notice 5071C. Taxpayers can use their IRS online account or a dedicated toll-free telephone number to verify their identity (here's more information on answering Notice 5071C). The IRS aims to process tax returns and issue refunds within nine weeks after a successful identity verification. If the individual's identity cannot be confirmed, the IRS removes the tax return from processing to prevent the issuance of a fraudulent refund. Depending on when a return is flagged as potentially fraudulent, the IRS may be able to prevent the tax return and associated refund from being paid. If the fraud isn't identified until after the refund is paid, the IRS may pull the return for post-refund compliance processes. The data was published in the Interim Results of the 2025 Filing Season report published by TIGTA in June 2025. The report presents the results of TIGTA's review to evaluate the processing of individual income tax returns for the 2025 Filing Season. WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 20: Former Rep. Billy Long (R-MO), U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to be Internal Revenue Service Commissioner, departs after a Senate Finance Committee nomination hearing on Capitol Hill on May 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. The IRS has had four acting commissioners since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January. (Photo by) Getty Images The Senate has confirmed former U.S. Representative Billy Long of Missouri as the next commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The vote was 53-44 along party lines, with all Republicans in the Senate voting yes—all of the no votes came from Democrats. The vote puts a period on a process that had grown contentious at times. President Donald Trump announced Long's nomination in December of 2024, even though Danny Werfel was then serving a term as IRS Commissioner that would normally run until late in 2027. Werfel subsequently announced his resignation, effective January 20, 2025. Since Long had not yet been confirmed at that time, Werfel was replaced by Doug O'Donnell, who served as Acting Commissioner following Werfel's departure. O'Donnell left his position on February 28, 2025, and was replaced by then IRS Chief Operating Officer Melanie Krause. Krause announced her departure in April 2025, following the tax agency's agreement to share immigrant tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Michael Faulkender joined the revolving doors at the IRS as the Acting Commissioner on April 18, 2025—he has been in the position since that time. Long will now officially take the reins at the tax agency. (You can read more about Long here.) Former IRS Commissioners Lawrence Gibbs, John Koskinen, Charles Rettig, and Daniel Werfel shared lessons learned from their tenures and predictions for the agency's future with Tax Analysts President and CEO Cara Griffith. The discussion spanned two hours and covered many of the big questions plaguing the IRS. Tax Notes curated a selection of the former commissioners' responses (but if you'd like to hear the whole discussion, you can find the link in the show notes). 📅 June 16, 2025. Due date for individuals living and working abroad to file their 2024 federal income tax return and pay any tax due. 📅 September 30, 2025. Due date for individuals and businesses impacted by recent terrorist attacks in Israel. 📅 October 15, 2025. Due date for individuals and businesses affected by wildfires and straight-line winds in southern California that began on January 7, 2025. 📅 November 3, 2025. Due date for individuals and businesses affected by storms in Arkansas and Tennessee that began on April 2, 2025. 📅 June 16-19, 2025. Latino Tax Fest. MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada. Registration required. 📅 June 18, 2025 at 12 p.m. ET. Taxes In The Political Crosshairs: How To Prepare For One Big Beautiful Bill. Members only webinar featuring Forbes editor Janet Novack, Forbes senior writer and tax attorney Kelly Phillips Erb, National Managing Director of alliantgroup and former senior counsel and tax counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance Dean Zerbe, and PwC Senior Policy Advisor and former Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means Dave Camp. Registration required. 📅 June 18, 2025. Avalara CRUSH on Tour. Bridgeport Art Center (Skyline Loft), 1200 W. 35th Street, Chicago, IL 60609. Registration required. 📅 June 26, 2025. Avalara CRUSH on Tour. Iron23 (Flatiron District), 29 West 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010. Registration required. 📅 July 1-September 16 (various dates), 2025. IRS Nationwide Tax Forum in Chicago, New Orleans, Orlando, Baltimore and San Diego. Registration required (discounts available for some partner groups). 📅 July 18-19, 2025. Tax Retreat "Anti Conference." Denver, Colorado. Registration required. 📅 July 21-23, 2025. National Association of Tax Professionals Taxposium 2025. Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada. Registration required. 📅 July 22-24, 2025. Bridging the Gap Conference. Denver Marriott Tech Center, 4900 S. Syracuse Street, Denver, Colorado. Registration required. 📅 July 28-30, 2025. Tax Summit 2025. Grand America Hotel, Salt Lake City. Registration required. Charitable giving comes in various forms. Which woman launched a reading program in 1995 to provide young children with a free book each month? (A) Dolly Parton (B) J.K. Rowling (C) Oprah Winfrey (D) Reese Witherspoon Find the answer at the bottom of this newsletter. The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the IRS issued Notice 2025-33, extending and modifying earlier transition relief for brokers required to file Form 1099-DA to report certain digital asset sale and exchange transactions by customers. Specifically, Notice 2025-33 extends the transition relief from backup withholding tax liability and associated penalties for any broker that fails to withhold and pay the backup withholding tax for any digital asset sale or exchange transaction effected during calendar year 2026. The IRS published Internal Revenue Bulletin 2025-25. The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) submitted comments to the IRS containing 183 recommendations regarding the 2025-2026 Priority Guidance Plan. The AICPA's recommendations come from the organization's Tax Technical Resource Panels (TRP), which cover the following areas: Corporations and Shareholders; Employee Benefits; Exempt Organizations; Individual and Self-Employed; International; IRS Advocacy & Relations; Partnerships; S Corporations; Tax Methods and Periods; and Trust, Estate and Gift Tax. The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) released an exposure draft for the Proposed Criteria for Controls Supporting Token Operations: Specific to Asset-Backed Fiat-Pegged Tokens, with comments sought from the public through Aug.11, 2025. The draft provides a framework for controls over stablecoins, the fiat currency-backed digital asset that is currently a key focus of regulatory activity in the United States. Tax attorneys Zhanna A. Ziering and Aaron M. Esman have founded Ziering & Esman PLLC, a tax law firm in New York. Ziering & Esman PLLC focuses on tax controversy, providing representation to individuals and businesses involved in disputes with the IRS and state tax authorities. KPMG announced the Americas Board of Directors has elected Will Williams as the next Chair of KPMG's Americas Region, beginning July 1, 2025. Williams will succeed Paul Knopp, who has held the position since 2020. Georgia lawmakers are exploring raising the tax on cigarettes. Currently, only Missouri charges a lower tax than Georgia for a pack of 20 cigarettes. Raising the tax by a dollar to $1.37 would generate between $400 million and $500 million. The cigarette tax currently generates about $115 million a year, and Georgia is spending about $850 million a year on Medicaid costs attributable to smoking. The gas tax in Mississippi will increase by 3 cents per gallon, effective July 1, 2025, as part of a 9-cent boost phased in over three years. The state's gas tax has been 18 cents per gallon since 1987. According to the Tax Foundation, Mississippi's 18-cent gas tax is the second-lowest in the U.S.—only Alaska's is lower at 8.95 cents per gallon. — If you have tax and accounting career or industry news, submit it for consideration here or email me directly. Here's what readers clicked through most often in the newsletter last week: You can find the entire newsletter here. The answer is (A) Dolly Parton. American singer, songwriter and actress Dolly Parton, performs with a guitar, 1976. (Photo by David Redfern/Redferns) Redferns In 1995, Dolly Parton created Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to benefit children in East Tennessee, USA. The first book order totaled just over 1,700. Today, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library sends more than one million books per month to children around the world. How did we do? We'd love your feedback. If you have a suggestion for making the newsletter better, submit it here or email me directly.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Florida's long-awaited budget cuts spending, saves money for future downturns
TALLAHASSEE — After weeks of infighting and stalled negotiations, Florida's legislative leaders released a slimmed-down budget for the next fiscal year on Friday. The $115.1 billion spending plan is supposed to limit what lawmakers say has been a trend of runaway spending in Tallahassee and counter uncertainty over federal funding from Washington. Lawmakers are slashing more than 1,700 vacant positions across state government and stashing millions of dollars for the state's rainy day fund, but are still funding priority projects with millions of dollars. 'We thought this day would never come, but it did,' Senate budget chairperson Ed Hooper said Friday. Lawmakers are set to vote on the budget Monday evening, ending one of the most contentious legislative sessions in recent memory and setting up a potential clash with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Unlike a typical year, where lawmakers produce a budget within Florida's usual 60-day session, lawmakers took 102 days to put together their final product. That's partly because legislators have been feuding with DeSantis since January, when he called lawmakers in for a special session to address immigration without any clear goals or proposed legislation. The three special sessions ate up critical time that would have been used to work on the budget. 'There were contributing factors that largely were out of the control of either chamber,' said Republican Rep. Lawrence McClure, the House budget chairperson. DeSantis, who has been ruthless in cutting lawmakers' projects in happy times, has until the end of this month to issue vetoes. Earlier this year, amid the feud with DeSantis, the House overrode some of his budget vetoes from last year. The Senate did not. Although lawmakers didn't give DeSantis everything he wanted in the amounts he wanted — including money for his priority Hope Florida program — they still gave him millions for the Florida State Guard and the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund. Millions also stayed with first lady Casey DeSantis' cancer research fund. The idea that 'the governor's priorities are being funded at a lower rate' is wrong, McClure said. Overall spending was smaller across the board, he said. Despite producing a smaller budget than the year prior, Florida's budget has still grown by more than 26% since DeSantis came into office in 2019. The budget's growth has outpaced population increases and often outpaced inflation. House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, pushed for a leaner budget this year, saying state government spending had swollen and run afoul of conservative values. 'We spend every new dime of recurring revenue while congratulating ourselves for giving easy-to-fund, non-recurring sales tax holidays,' Perez said on the opening day of the session in March. McClure blamed too much federal money in previous years for Florida's 'not sustainable' spending habits. About a third of the state's budget is federal money. But lawmakers are now facing a potentially abrupt reversal from the feds. Under President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress, federal lawmakers could pass major cuts to Medicaid, food assistance and other social programs. There are also discussions about ending the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Senate President Ben Albritton said that if the federal government cuts costs, he thinks Florida wouldn't be able to avoid shouldering some of the burden. State lawmakers are also preparing for a potential recession, socking away at least $750 million for the state's rainy day fund and proposing making the annual funding permanent through a constitutional amendment next year. The last time the fund was used was during the Great Recession, prompting lawmakers at the time to consider raising taxes. 'I never want a future Legislature to have to be in that position,' Perez said last week. But some Democrats have raised concerns about this year's budget tying the state's hands. 'I think that the state actually should be preparing to help carry its people through that tough time, not looking for ways to cut funding,' said House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell. House lawmakers this year took particular interest in DeSantis' spending habits and governance, focusing in part on the thousands of vacant positions across state agencies. To slim the budget, they're slashing many of those positions for the next year, including more than 1,000 in Florida's health care agencies, including the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Health. Lawmakers also set aside a smaller amount of money than usual for teacher and school employee raises — $100 million instead of previous years' roughly $250 million. And they're also not funding $2 million for DeSantis' Hope Florida program, which is supposed to steer constituents in need from state services to local churches and nonprofits. Lawmakers' scrutiny has caused DeSantis to rage against them in news conferences and online videos this year. But he's still getting much of what he requested. For the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, lawmakers set aside $50 million, $25 million less than he wanted. A state cancer grant fund, backed by the first lady, got $60 million. And while the Legislature put more than $500 million toward the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, it fell short of the more than $600 million DeSantis wanted, with lawmakers pointing to how much of the prior funding remained unspent. Some of the ideas in the budget popped up in the final days of negotiations, including a $3 million fund to give grants to local jails that contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for immigration enforcement. The Florida Senate also put aside $23 million to fund the Florida State Guard, which DeSantis has used as a tool in his immigration enforcement and deportation plans. But Hooper, R-Clearwater, said that the funding had more to do with the possibility of FEMA being dissolved than it had to do with immigration enforcement. Both chambers together supported more than $100 million to increase the nursing home reimbursement rate. About $28 million will go toward a farmer food share program prioritized by Albritton, along with about $104 million for another priority of his: citrus research. Lawmakers this year are cutting taxes — but mostly for businesses. Legislative leaders are eliminating the business rent tax, saving companies across the state about $900 million per year. DeSantis also proposed eliminating it in his budget. They're not taking any action to reduce property taxes, however, and the House's plan for a sweeping sales tax cut has been whittled down to a limited sales tax reduction plan, which includes making the back-to-school sales tax holiday a permanent event every August and permanently exempting taxes on some items, like sunscreen and life jackets. Though lawmakers initially billed the tax package as being targeted to benefit Florida families, the final package exempts or reduces taxes on things like NASCAR tickets, card rooms and slot machine licensing fees. The final tax bill also sets aside $1 million for Florida's Office of Economic and Demographic Research to do a study on the state's property taxes. DeSantis has proposed cutting or eliminating property taxes, which could leave local governments without a critical revenue source. But he proposed no concrete ideas for how to do that. The governor in March offered a temporary plan to use $5 billion to give people a $1,000 homestead property tax rebate. But neither the House nor the Senate took up the idea. A month into the legislative session, Perez made a surprise announcement that the House wanted to cut the state's sales tax from 6% to 5.25%. It would have been the largest state tax cut in Florida's history, saving Floridians nearly $5 billion per year. But the Senate wouldn't go along with the plan. When asked why lawmakers decided to give businesses the largest tax break this year, Perez said the ultimate goal was to cut the amount of money lawmakers could spend. 'We have become accustomed to spending recurring dollars,' Perez said, adding: 'What we are trying to do is stop that from happening into the future.' Times reporter Jeffrey S. Solochek contributed to this report.
Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Florida's long-awaited budget slashes spending, stashes money for a rainy day
After weeks of infighting and stalled negotiations, Florida's legislative leaders have released a slimmed-down budget for the next fiscal year. The $115.1 billion spending plan released Friday is supposed to limit what lawmakers say has been a trend of runaway spending in Tallahassee and counter uncertainty over federal funding from Washington. Lawmakers are slashing more than 1,700 vacant positions across state government and stashing millions of dollars for the state's rainy day fund, but are still funding priority projects with millions of dollars. 'We thought this day would never come, but it did,' Senate budget chairperson Ed Hooper said Friday. Lawmakers are set to vote on the budget Monday evening, ending one of the most contentious legislative sessions in recent memory and setting up a potential clash with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Unlike a typical year, where lawmakers produce a budget within Florida's usual 60-day session, lawmakers took 102 days to put together their final product. That's partly because legislators have been feuding with DeSantis since January, when he called lawmakers in for a special session to address immigration without any clear goals or proposed legislation. The three special sessions ate up critical time that would have been used to work on the budget. 'There were contributing factors that largely were out of the control of either chamber,' said Republican Rep. Lawrence McClure, the House budget chairperson. DeSantis, who has been ruthless in cutting lawmakers' projects in happy times, has until the end of this month to issue vetoes. Earlier this year, amid the feud with DeSantis, the House overrode some of his budget vetoes from last year. The Senate did not. Although lawmakers didn't give DeSantis everything he wanted in the amounts he wanted — including money for his priority Hope Florida program — they still gave him millions for the Florida State Guard and the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund. Millions also stayed with first lady Casey DeSantis' cancer research fund. The idea that 'the governor's priorities are being funded at a lower rate' is wrong, McClure said. Overall spending was smaller across the board, he said. Less spending, and possibly less federal help Despite producing a smaller budget than the year prior, Florida's budget has still grown by more than 26% since DeSantis came into office in 2019. The budget's growth has outpaced population increases and often outpaced inflation. House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, pushed for a leaner budget this year, saying state government spending had swollen and run afoul of conservative values. 'We spend every new dime of recurring revenue while congratulating ourselves for giving easy-to-fund, non-recurring sales tax holidays,' Perez said on the opening day of the session in March. McClure blamed too much federal money in previous years for Florida's 'not sustainable' spending habits. About a third of the state's budget is federal money. But lawmakers are now facing a potentially abrupt reversal from the feds. Under President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress, federal lawmakers could pass major cuts to Medicaid, food assistance and other social programs. There are also discussions about ending the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Senate President Ben Albritton said that if the federal government cuts costs, he thinks Florida wouldn't be able to avoid shouldering some of the burden. State lawmakers are also preparing for a potential recession, socking away at least $750 million for the state's rainy day fund and proposing making the annual funding permanent through a constitutional amendment next year. The last time the fund was used was during the Great Recession, prompting lawmakers at the time to consider raising taxes. 'I never want a future Legislature to have to be in that position,' Perez said last week. But some Democrats have raised concerns about this year's budget tying the state's hands. 'I think that the state actually should be preparing to help carry its people through that tough time, not looking for ways to cut funding,' said House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell. Cuts to the budget House lawmakers this year took particular interest in DeSantis' spending habits and governance, focusing in part on the thousands of vacant positions across state agencies. To slim the budget, they're slashing many of those positions for the next year, including more than 1,000 in Florida's health care agencies, including the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Health. Lawmakers also set aside a smaller amount of money than usual for teacher and school employee raises — $100 million instead of previous years' roughly $250 million. And they're also not funding $2 million for DeSantis' Hope Florida program, which is supposed to steer constituents in need from state services to local churches and nonprofits. Lawmakers' scrutiny has caused DeSantis to rage against them in news conferences and online videos this year. But he's still getting much of what he requested. For the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, lawmakers set aside $50 million, $25 million less than he wanted. A state cancer grant fund, backed by the first lady, got $60 million. And while the Legislature put more than $500 million toward the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, it fell short of the more than $600 million DeSantis wanted, with lawmakers pointing to how much of the prior funding remained unspent. Some of the ideas in the budget popped up in the final days of negotiations, including a $3 million fund to give grants to local jails that contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for immigration enforcement. The Florida Senate also put aside $23 million to fund the Florida State Guard, which DeSantis has used as a tool in his immigration enforcement and deportation plans. But Hooper, R-Clearwater, said that the funding had more to do with the possibility of FEMA being dissolved than it had to do with immigration enforcement. Both chambers together supported more than $100 million to increase the nursing home reimbursement rate. About $28 million will go toward a farmer food share program prioritized by Albritton, along with about $104 million for another priority of his: citrus research. No property tax breaks Lawmakers this year are cutting taxes — but mostly for businesses. Legislative leaders are eliminating the business rent tax, saving companies across the state about $900 million per year. DeSantis also proposed eliminating it in his budget. They're not taking any action to reduce property taxes, however, and the House's plan for a sweeping sales tax cut has been whittled down to a limited sales tax reduction plan, which includes making the back-to-school sales tax holiday a permanent event every August and permanently exempting taxes on some items, like sunscreen and life jackets. Though lawmakers initially billed the tax package as being targeted to benefit Florida families, the final package exempts or reduces taxes on things like NASCAR tickets, card rooms and slot machine licensing fees. The final tax bill also sets aside $1 million for Florida's Office of Economic and Demographic Research to do a study on the state's property taxes. DeSantis has proposed cutting or eliminating property taxes, which could leave local governments without a critical revenue source. But he proposed no concrete ideas for how to do that. The governor in March offered a temporary plan to use $5 billion to give people a $1,000 homestead property tax rebate. But neither the House nor the Senate took up the idea. A month into the legislative session, Perez made a surprise announcement that the House wanted to cut the state's sales tax from 6% to 5.25%. It would have been the largest state tax cut in Florida's history, saving Floridians nearly $5 billion per year. But the Senate wouldn't go along with the plan. When asked why lawmakers decided to give businesses the largest tax break this year, Perez said the ultimate goal was to cut the amount of money lawmakers could spend. 'We have become accustomed to spending recurring dollars,' Perez said, adding: 'What we are trying to do is stop that from happening into the future.' Times reporter Jeffrey S. Solochek contributed to this report.
