Florida Tax Increase

[3princesses]

I just paid my trip in full and it was just a bit more expensive because Florida increased their tax. Melissa from YMJ said that Disney is going through each individual reservation and changing the tax, so if they haven't got to yours yet, you don't pay the increase. Unfortunately they did get to mine and I paid the increase. :? It wasn't that much but it still would have paid for four mickey bars!!!!:mickey: I'm just glad my trip is paid for, that means it's getting closer!!!!

[Snickerdoodlesmommy]

Who is saying there has been a tax increase? I live in Orange county and as far as I know there has been NO increase in Orange,Osceola,Lake,Polk,Marion,Seminole,Volusia,B revard, counties on sales tax or property taxes.

I was at SuperTarget yesterday and my tax was still the same %.

Now I am curious and will have to ask around to see if I have been out of touch on this~!:eek:

[Snickerdoodlesmommy]

So far I have found this:

Governor Bush vetoes Tax Increase

By STEVE BOUSQUET, Times Staff Writer
Published June 28, 2006

TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Jeb Bush vetoed a bill Tuesday that would have allowed a new $2-a-day tax on rental car customers, calling it "taxation without representation on a large scale" for Florida tourists.
The language of Bush's veto message directly undercut the arguments of many of his fellow Republicans in the Legislature, who insisted the optional tax was not truly a tax because it was subject to approval by a county's voters in a local referendum.
The $2-a-day tax would have created a new pool of money for cities and counties to match federal and state grants to provide road improvements and mass transit.
While the legislation bore the name of Sen. Jim Sebesta, R-St. Petersburg, its sponsor and chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, it was largely the work of business leaders and lawmakers from Greater Orlando, where tourists keep cash registers humming but also make sizable contributions to traffic congestion.
"I think there is a need for extra dollars and a user fee seemed to be the best way to do it," said Sen. Daniel Webster, R-Winter Garden. "That's why I supported it."
But what made the proposal controversial was that it had support even from Republicans who have signed the Americans for Tax Reform pledge to oppose "any and all" tax increases. They include Webster and Rep. Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, the House majority leader.
Supporters said the money was needed to pay for an urgent backlog of transportation needs. They argued they were not advocating higher taxes because the tax could be imposed only if a majority of a county's voters authorized it. But that didn't sway Bush.
"These taxes will be paid disparately by tourists visiting Florida, consequently creating taxation without representation on a large scale," Bush wrote in a veto message. "Philosophically, I cannot support this."
Fred Leonhardt, a lobbyist for Orlando, called Bush's veto "very unfortunate." He said the rental car tax would have been fairer because it would have required tourists who clog Florida roads to pay a greater share of the congestion they created.
"This is a setback in addressing the transportation infrastructure needs that we have as an urban county," Leonhardt said. "The needs are still stronger than the resources to address them."
Despite business community support for the rental car tax, large segments of the tourism industry mobilized to oppose it.
They included national rental car companies, travel groups such as Tampa-based AAA Auto Club South, and county tourism agencies.
D.T. Minich, director of the Lee County Convention & Visitors Bureau in Fort Myers, told Bush in a letter that a $2-a-day surcharge, on top of an existing $2 daily surcharge now in effect, would make Florida one of the highest-taxed rental car markets in the country.
Taxes and fees already add up to a 23 percent tax on airport rental car customers in Tampa, 29 percent in Jacksonville and 27 percent in Miami, according to figures provided by tax opponents.
"Rental car companies and our visitors already pay their fair share into state and local coffers," Minich wrote. "Why should our one industry be charged with solving a transportation problem that it does not individually create?"
But Webster said the current formula for allocating money for road construction is based on population, which he said penalizes areas like Orlando where visitors add to gridlock.
Webster said Bush's veto could actually worsen traffic congestion in Florida, because a separate provision in the bill would have increased the borrowing capacity of the turnpike system by $250-million.
The bill SB 1350 passed the House 103-14 and the Senate 34-4.

[kathleena]

I believe it is the room tax is increasing, I have read that before.

[Princess Madelyn's Daddy]

What is the tax in Florida? I think we are at 8.7% in Washington. Although it differs from county to county.

[luvdamouse]

A friend of mine said that the hotel tax is going up 1% to 12.5%.

[PixiePrincess]

I just paid my trip in full and it was just a bit more expensive because Florida increased their tax. Melissa from YMJ said that Disney is going through each individual reservation and changing the tax, so if they haven't got to yours yet, you don't pay the increase. Unfortunately they did get to mine and I paid the increase. :? It wasn't that much but it still would have paid for four mickey bars!!!!:mickey: I'm just glad my trip is paid for, that means it's getting closer!!!!


just for giggles, I went to check my online ressie at Disney.com and my balance went up!! It's only a few bucks but still.... can they just increase my package price without informing me? :mad: I guess I'm off to make a phone call to Disney to inquire about this.

I called and the tax did go up 1% and since I had left a small balance... it can increase. Oh well. Such is life.
BTW, the tax is now 12.5% on the AKL resort. YIKES!!!!!!

[PixiePrincess]

A friend of mine said that the hotel tax is going up 1% to 12.5%.

Your friend is correct! ;)

[FLSharon]

WARNING.....:soapbox:

I'm so tired of these outrageous taxes on rooms and cars... heck i might as well go buy a junker to use then sell the blasted thing.. :mad: This state has sooo much money from the increases in real estate taxes that they don't need to be increasing any taxes... They have more money to play with than ever before!! Just like individuals, they just plain need to manage their money better!! Heck when i got back to florida last fall, i about died when I saw there was a school levy on the ballot:yikes: WHAT????? Yes, the schools may need more $$$ but redo the blasted budget. We need some small business people in the tallahassee who know the value of a dollar! Ok, off my soap box. :soapbox:

[Robin]

Shouldn't they be saying a 'percent' not a penny?


County adds another penny to resort tax

The additional tax, which will be collected starting Sept. 1, is projected to raise about $25 million in additional revenue in its first year.

The tax is projected to raise $900 million-plus over 25 years. In a deal negotiated between tourist industry leaders and the county, half the money will go toward funding a performing arts center, rebuilding the Citrus Bowl and developing a facility to replace the TD Waterhouse Center. The other half will fund an expanded advertising campaign to attract more tourists to Central Florida.


http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2006/07/17/daily24.html?surround=lfn

[Snickerdoodlesmommy]

Shouldn't they be saying a 'percent' not a penny?



http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2006/07/17/daily24.html?surround=lfn

How many more tourists does Central Florida need to attract??? We are currently up from 47 million per year to 51 million people per year that come to Florida for vacation! :cool:

[Robin]

Is there anyone who doesn't know we're here?

I think the 'advertising' is probably for the business off site and to court business for the convention center. You'd think by now the convention center would not on be able to support itself without being subsidized, but it would be putting money back into the county's coffers.

Honestly, from what I heard on the news Buddy Dyer (Orlando Mayor) has been dying to fix up Downtown and lure more people there to revitalize the area. His big thing is the renovate the Citrus bowl and the local arena.

I actually prefered the car tax over this one. Tourists put a lot of wear and tear on the roads, put they don't count in the federal funds we get for roads. We need some better alternatives to just the I-4.

[Timon]

A friend of mine said that the hotel tax is going up 1% to 12.5%.

Yet another reason to join DVC.

[Snickerdoodlesmommy]

Yet another reason to join DVC.

No Timon. An even better reason to just buy a house here and stay a while!!!

As Mr. Rogers would say.....................

"Won't you be my neigh-----bor? :singer:

[luvdamouse]

No Timon. An even better reason to just buy a house here and stay a while!!!

As Mr. Rogers would say.....................

"Won't you be my neigh-----bor? :singer:


My mom recently complained about wanting to live somewhere warm and beautiful. I mentioned Florida ;) . She didn't bite :crying:

[MJTinNH]

No Timon. An even better reason to just buy a house here and stay a while!!!

As Mr. Rogers would say.....................

"Won't you be my neigh-----bor? :singer:


This would be my goal eventually. Hoping to retire at 62....maybe then!:xfingers:

[kathleena]

Yet another reason to join DVC.

Good point.

Shouldn't they be saying a 'percent' not a penny?

Umm that would be the Florida penny. You know, the state that brought us the hanging chad?