Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Republican sales tax cut: 'Dead on arrival'

Kirby Wilson, Tampa Bay Times on May 7, 2025

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TAMPA, Fla. — It’s not every day that a Florida Republican comes out against a tax cut.

But that’s what happened Wednesday at a Tampa news conference when Gov. Ron DeSantis voiced his opposition to a Florida House plan to cut the state sales tax.

“We need to have a Florida first tax policy here,” DeSantis said. “Any Florida last tax package is going to be dead on arrival.”

The veto threat from DeSantis comes as state legislative leaders haggle over Florida’s finances. The allotted 60-day legislative session came and went without lawmakers agreeing on how to craft the 12-figure state budget.

Last week, Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, and Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, announced they had agreed to a budget framework that included billions in new tax cuts. The governor said it would permanently lower the state’s sales tax by 0.25% — from 6% to 5.75%.

DeSantis’ threat to veto such a cut could throw a wrench into the ongoing budget talks.

The governor’s reasons for opposing the sales tax cut are many. He said the cut would disproportionately benefit out-of-town visitors at the expense of the state’s fiscal health. He said the sales tax cut wouldn’t do enough to help families struggling to afford groceries to justify its cost.

DeSantis prefers a plan to lower property tax rates, which he says would more directly benefit residents. Earlier this year, he called for lawmakers to give homeowners a rebate on their property taxes.

“This would basically kill any chance of doing property relief for folks,” DeSantis said of the potential sales tax cut. “Because what are they going to say next year? ‘Oh, well, we don’t have the money to do property tax relief.’”

In response, Perez said the governor is “confused.” The House speaker said in an emailed statement that the state can lower both state and property taxes. And he noted the governor has supported numerous sales tax holidays in the past.

“I give the Governor credit for starting this debate, but he’s had months to produce an actual plan to lower property tax rates, and we’re still waiting,” Perez said in the statement. “An imaginary plan can’t cut real taxes.”

Any changes to property taxes would have to come either from the local level or from a constitutional ballot referendum that gets the approval of 60% of voters. DeSantis has pushed for lawmakers to craft such a referendum to put before voters.

Last week, Perez formed a House committee to study the property tax issue. He plans for the committee to meet throughout the spring, summer and fall to weigh various policies.

At the news conference Wednesday, DeSantis took a shot at Perez’s committee.

“You don’t convene a 37-person committee when you’re trying to get something done,” DeSantis said. “You convene a 37-person committee if you’re trying to smother it in the crib.”