Without fail, whenever Gov. Ron DeSantis talks about taxes — whether on the campaign trail around the country, press conferences and photo opps, or even official speeches — he brags about Florida being a “low tax” state.
In his most recent State of the State Address, the governor made sure to mention that it is now “tax-free to raise a child in Florida” thanks to “permanently removing taxes on baby items.”
During the six years (2017-2022) that families had to wait for that permanent baby item tax exemption, what policymakers have done is cut the state’s corporate income tax rate, refund over $500 million to corporations, and raise online sales taxes on consumers to offset taxes for businesses.
These policies (among others) cost Floridians and their families the benefits of billions of dollars that could have been used for public safety, parks, and schools, while corporations were gifted a windfall of tax breaks and refunds.
The permanent tax exemption on baby products will only return a fraction of that (about $160 million) to families annually. To put it into perspective, it will take Florida workers and families over a decade to make up for the corporate tax giveaways policymakers passed instead of the permanent exemption for baby products. This is not something to brag about.
The governor’s claim that it is now “tax free to raise a child in Florida” also blatantly defies the experience of millions of families across the state. As a health-care worker and mother of a teenage daughter, I can state with authority that child care in Florida is neither accessible nor affordable, and the situation is getting worse.
Yet, policymakers have not addressed the issue, which not only impacts families but also costs $911 million in decreased tax revenue. State policymakers have continually refused to expand Medicaid, leaving thousands of parents uninsured and forfeiting $2 billion in potential savings. Recently, policymakers turned down $260 million federal dollars to help parents with low income afford groceries during the summer months when school is out.
Sadly, refusing this money results in real pain for real people.
Although baby items are now sales tax exempt, policymakers’ refusal to pass policies that would undoubtedly help families and generate revenue for public services is a tax (a strain or heavy demand) on families. So, no, it is not “tax-free to raise a child in Florida” — far from it.
In fact, a recent national study from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy names Florida’s tax code as the most upside-down in the country, meaning that, as a percentage of one’s total earnings, lower-income families are taxed at higher rates than the state’s top earners. Families earning less than $36,000 annually (that’s 40% of families in the state) contribute more of their money to pay state taxes than families earning over $736,000 annually (the top 1%). This is the result of decades of choices made by Florida politicians like Ron DeSantis to prioritize the wealthy and shift the burden onto everyday people already struggling to make ends meet.
So, for working families, Florida is not a low-tax state, it is a very high-cost state.
It’s clear that when corporations and the wealthy are finally made to pay what they owe, the majority of Floridians can have the potential to thrive. That’s why advocates and leaders of all backgrounds are working together across the state to hold legislative leadership accountable, demanding they “Fund Our Futures” by passing policies that reflect the true values of Floridians such as affordable housing and health care, reproductive freedom, quality education, living wages, and clean air and water.
If we had the right leaders who sincerely serve the people, we really could make Florida even more than “low-tax,” but more importantly, a “high-quality” state to raise our children.
Jennifer Parker is a Kissimmee resident, a unit secretary at a major Central Florida hospital and a member of 1199SEIU, the largest union of health-care workers in the state.
