{"id":289466,"date":"2026-05-29T22:44:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T22:44:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/289466\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T22:44:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T22:44:09","slug":"florida-legislature-passes-tax-cuts-for-guns-fishing-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/289466\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida Legislature passes tax cuts for guns, fishing and more"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPeople who buy guns, fishing gear, and tickets to two tennis tournaments will see tax cuts as part of a bill (HB 7031E) approved by the Legislature on Friday.The Senate voted 29-6 and the House 88-11 for the tax package, which is estimated to cut state and local revenue by $272.2 million, including $105 million in state general fund revenue in the next fiscal year.\u201cThis is a broad-based tax relief package that positively impacts taxpayers, homestead property owners, positively impacts military service members, small counties, and rural counties,\u201d said Senate Finance and Tax Committee Chairman Bryan Avila, R-Miami Springs.Democrats voting against the measure countered that the package failed to address housing, gas, and food affordability issues.\u201cWe are offering up a ton of tax relief to people who go and purchase tennis tickets, to people who go and purchase guns,\u201d said Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville. \u201cFor the regular average, everyday working, hard-working person here in our state, there&#8217;s absolutely no relief whatsoever.\u201dPart of the package lifts taxes on admissions to the Association of Tennis Professionals&#8217; ATP Masters 1000 and Women&#8217;s Tennis Association&#8217;s WTA 1000 tournaments through July 1, 2029. Both tours have events at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The measure is estimated to reduce revenue by $25.8 million.Another piece of the bill revives a hunting, fishing, and camping sales tax \u201choliday\u201d created last year. This year\u2019s version is set to run from September 1 through Dec. 31.During that time, sales taxes would be lifted on ammunition, pistols, rifles, and an assortment of firearm accessories that include range bags, holsters, magazines, mats, sights, slings, stocks, cleaning kits, silencers, and triggers.Camping gear that will fall under the holiday includes sleeping bags and camping stoves under $50, flashlights under $30, and tents under $200. Sales taxes would also be lifted for fishing rods and reels individually sold under $75, tackle boxes under $30, and bait priced $10 or less.Those discounts are projected to save consumers $32.2 million.The package also includes property tax exemptions for members of the military deployed in 2023, 2024, and 2025, adds $35.2 million for rural road and bridge improvements, revises the way special assessments may be levied against RV parks, and changes the Save Our Homes portability by allowing the transfer to a new homestead from any homestead abandoned in the prior three years. Under current law, the transfer is only allowed from the immediate prior homestead.For parimutuel operators, the package cuts the tax on slot machine revenues from 35 percent to 34 percent and the gross receipts tax on cardroom revenues from 8 percent to 5 percent. The measure also lifts an annual $2 million slot machine licensing fee on permit holders in Broward County. The discount is allowed only in counties with two Seminole Indian Tribe of Florida casinos.\u201cUnder the compact with the Seminole Tribe, the revenues have far exceeded any sort of expectations; a lot of those revenues can be used to offset some of these taxes,\u201d Avila said.Democrats were disappointed the bill didn\u2019t include a moratorium on the state\u2019s 22-cent-per-gallon gas tax, as pump prices remain over $4 per gallon in the state.\u201cHopefully, future legislators will listen to the voters. They&#8217;re asking us to focus on affordability, not give tax breaks to large corporations,\u201d said Orlando Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani.The package also moves the back-to-school sales tax \u201choliday\u201d to July 20 through August 20 rather than for all of August, as was set in state law last year. During the holiday period, sales taxes will be lifted on select clothes and supplies, and personal computers priced at $1,500 or less.There\u2019s also a three-year exemption from sales taxes on impact-resistant windows and doors. The home hardening effort is expected to cut state and local revenue by $45.3 million in the next fiscal year.The package increases the dollar-for-dollar tax credit businesses can receive when donating to select charities aiding vulnerable children and families from $40 million to $53.1 million.The measure further directs annual revenue from documentary stamp taxes on real estate transactions to include $60 million to the Florida Rail Enterprise, $15.2 million to the Small Counties Road Assistance Program, and $60 million to the C-51 Reservoir Project.DOWNLOAD\u202fthe free\u202fGulf Coast News app\u202ffor your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment, and original programming on your TV.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\tTALLAHASSEE, Fla. \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>People who buy guns, fishing gear, and tickets to two tennis tournaments will see tax cuts as part of a bill (HB 7031E) approved by the Legislature on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>The Senate voted 29-6 and the House 88-11 for the tax package, which is estimated to cut state and local revenue by $272.2 million, including $105 million in state general fund revenue in the next fiscal year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a broad-based tax relief package that positively impacts taxpayers, homestead property owners, positively impacts military service members, small counties, and rural counties,\u201d said Senate Finance and Tax Committee Chairman Bryan Avila, R-Miami Springs.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats voting against the measure countered that the package failed to address housing, gas, and food affordability issues.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are offering up a ton of tax relief to people who go and purchase tennis tickets, to people who go and purchase guns,\u201d said Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville. \u201cFor the regular average, everyday working, hard-working person here in our state, there&#8217;s absolutely no relief whatsoever.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Part of the package lifts taxes on admissions to the Association of Tennis Professionals&#8217; ATP Masters 1000 and Women&#8217;s Tennis Association&#8217;s WTA 1000 tournaments through July 1, 2029. Both tours have events at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The measure is estimated to reduce revenue by $25.8 million.<\/p>\n<p>Another piece of the bill revives a hunting, fishing, and camping sales tax \u201choliday\u201d created last year. This year\u2019s version is set to run from September 1 through Dec. 31.<\/p>\n<p>During that time, sales taxes would be lifted on ammunition, pistols, rifles, and an assortment of firearm accessories that include range bags, holsters, magazines, mats, sights, slings, stocks, cleaning kits, silencers, and triggers.<\/p>\n<p>Camping gear that will fall under the holiday includes sleeping bags and camping stoves under $50, flashlights under $30, and tents under $200. Sales taxes would also be lifted for fishing rods and reels individually sold under $75, tackle boxes under $30, and bait priced $10 or less.<\/p>\n<p>Those discounts are projected to save consumers $32.2 million.<\/p>\n<p>The package also includes property tax exemptions for members of the military deployed in 2023, 2024, and 2025, adds $35.2 million for rural road and bridge improvements, revises the way special assessments may be levied against RV parks, and changes the Save Our Homes portability by allowing the transfer to a new homestead from any homestead abandoned in the prior three years. Under current law, the transfer is only allowed from the immediate prior homestead.<\/p>\n<p>For parimutuel operators, the package cuts the tax on slot machine revenues from 35 percent to 34 percent and the gross receipts tax on cardroom revenues from 8 percent to 5 percent. The measure also lifts an annual $2 million slot machine licensing fee on permit holders in Broward County. The discount is allowed only in counties with two Seminole Indian Tribe of Florida casinos.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnder the compact with the Seminole Tribe, the revenues have far exceeded any sort of expectations; a lot of those revenues can be used to offset some of these taxes,\u201d Avila said.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats were disappointed the bill didn\u2019t include a moratorium on the state\u2019s 22-cent-per-gallon gas tax, as pump prices remain over $4 per gallon in the state.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHopefully, future legislators will listen to the voters. They&#8217;re asking us to focus on affordability, not give tax breaks to large corporations,\u201d said Orlando Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani.<\/p>\n<p>The package also moves the back-to-school sales tax \u201choliday\u201d to July 20 through August 20 rather than for all of August, as was set in state law last year. During the holiday period, sales taxes will be lifted on select clothes and supplies, and personal computers priced at $1,500 or less.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s also a three-year exemption from sales taxes on impact-resistant windows and doors. The home hardening effort is expected to cut state and local revenue by $45.3 million in the next fiscal year.<\/p>\n<p>The package increases the dollar-for-dollar tax credit businesses can receive when donating to select charities aiding vulnerable children and families from $40 million to $53.1 million.<\/p>\n<p>The measure further directs annual revenue from documentary stamp taxes on real estate transactions to include $60 million to the Florida Rail Enterprise, $15.2 million to the Small Counties Road Assistance Program, and $60 million to the C-51 Reservoir Project.<\/p>\n<p>DOWNLOAD\u202fthe free\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/qrco.de\/gcnapp\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gulf Coast News app<\/a>\u202ffor your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.verylocal.com\/wbbh-ft-myers\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Very Local Gulf Coast app<\/a> to stream news, entertainment, and original programming on your TV.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"People who buy guns, fishing gear, and tickets to two tennis tournaments will see tax cuts as part&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":289467,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[49974,5238,3050,2230,2889,213,45392,49665,992,23751,11799,122417,914,232,234,233,88995,16664],"class_list":["post-289466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tallahassee","tag-association","tag-bill","tag-fishing","tag-gun","tag-holiday","tag-late-news","tag-measure","tag-package","tag-people","tag-percent","tag-revenue","tag-sale-tax","tag-state","tag-tallahassee","tag-tallahassee-headlines","tag-tallahassee-news","tag-tax-cut","tag-taxis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=289466"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289466\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/289467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=289466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=289466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=289466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}