Ditchmen • NUCA of Florida Ditchmen • May 2017 | Page 18
and represented a major
component of the budget
agreement struck between
the Chambers.
Limitations on Property
Tax Assessments: SJR 21
by Burton
This joint resolution
proposes an amendment
to the Florida Constitution
to remove the scheduled
January 1, 2019, repeal of
the 10-percent assessment
limitation on non-
homestead property. If
approved by the electors,
this provision will take
effect January 1, 2019.
Tax Cut Package: HB 7109
by Boyd
The 2017 Tax Relief
package which amounts to
approximately $75 million
in savings for Floridians
was approved in the final
week of session. A major
component of the measure
was a reduction of the
sales tax on commercial
rental property which
has long been sought by
the business community.
Florida is the only state
in the nation with this
tax in place. The bill
permanently lowers the tax
on commercial leases from
six to 5.8 percent, effective
January 1, 2018. Other
provisions include:
• Establishing two sales tax
holidays:
18
DITCHMEN • MAY 2017
• Three days (August 4-6)
for clothing and footwear
costing $60 or less, school
supplies costing less than
$15, and for the first $750
of the cost of a personal
computer; and,
• Three days (June 2-4)
for disaster preparedness
supplies including
flashlights and lanterns
costing $20 and less;
radios and tarps costing
$50 and under; coolers
and first-aid kits for $30
and under and generators
priced at $750 and less.
• Creating a sales tax
exemption for:
• A single parcel, limited
to $10,000, for building
materials, pest control
services, and tangible
personal property rentals
used in new construction
for Rural Areas of
Opportunity (RAO);
• Data center property
purchased, rented or
leased by the center’s
owners and tenants;
• Fingerprint services
associated with a
concealed weapons and
firearms application;
• Livestock, poultry,
and aquaculture health
products;
• Certain purchases by
municipally-owned golf
course operators; and,
• Feminine hygiene
products, effective January
1, 2018.
• Expanding authority for
counties to use revenue
derived from local option
tourist development
taxes for publicly-owned
auditoriums operated by
501(c)(3) organizations;
• Making permanent the
Community Contribution
Tax Credit with a limit of
$14 million in credits per
fiscal year;
• Expanding the annual
tax credit limit from
$5 to $10 million for
the Contaminated Site
Rehabilitation Tax Credit
program;
• Increasing the Research
and Development
Corporate Tax Credit limit
from $9 to $18 million for
calendar year 2018;
• Providing a property
tax exemption for 501(c)
(3) assisted living facilities
(ALFs) beginning in 2017,
effective upon the act
becoming law;
• Extending the time for a
charter school to apply for
a property tax exemption
to August 1, 2017, if it was
leased in 2015 and owned
in 2016;
• Clarifying that certain
heavy construction and
agricultural equipment
returned under a rent-
to-purchase option is
considered inventory and
exempt from property tax;
• Outlining procedures