SB 7034 Florida Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Taxation

Summary
Taxation; Revising the timeframe in which certain agricultural lands may be classified as agricultural lands when taken out of production by a state or federal eradication or quarantine program; exempting from ad valorem taxes any portion of property used as a child care facility that has achieved Gold Seal Quality status; providing a credit against oil and gas production taxes under the Home Away From Home Tax Credit beginning on a specified date; exempting the sale of gold, silver, and platinum bullion from the state sales tax; exempting certain clothing from the state sales tax; creating the Rural Community Investment Program within the Department of Commerce; exempting from sales and use tax specified disaster preparedness supplies during a specified timeframe, etc. APPROPRIATION: $1,311,076
Sub-Topics: Oil & Gas
Bill status died 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Apr 16, 2025 Last action Jun 16, 2025
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What changed between versions

S 7034 Filed S 7034 pb · 10 edits
MAJOR
This bill significantly expands Florida's tax relief and economic development programs. It creates a new Rural Community Investment Program to attract business investment in rural areas, exempts gold, silver, and platinum bullion from sales tax, and extends tax exemptions for clothing under $75. The bill also establishes a Home Away From Home Tax Credit for charitable contributions to organizations that house critically ill children, revises agricultural land assessment rules for citrus growers affected by disease, and updates various tax administration procedures including audit timelines and electronic hearing options.
Scope change
The bill substantially expands the scope of tax exemptions and credits by adding new programs (Rural Community Investment Program, Home Away From Home Tax Credit) and broadening existing exemptions (clothing, bullion, disaster supplies). It also extends the applicability of agricultural land assessment relief to include citrus greening disease in addition to Hurricane Irma.
FISCAL

Created the Rural Community Investment Program within the Department of Commerce to provide tax credits for investments in rural businesses with fewer than 250 employees, with a $7 million annual cap and $35 million lifetime limit.

Established the Home Away From Home Tax Credit allowing taxpayers to claim credits for contributions to eligible charitable organizations that house critically ill children, with caps of $5 million annually for sales tax and $7 million for corporate income tax.

EXEMPTIONS

Exempted the sale of gold, silver, and platinum bullion from state sales tax when the sales price exceeds $500 per transaction.

Extended clothing sales tax exemption to include items priced at $75 or less per item, previously limited to lower thresholds.

ELIGIBILITY

Extended agricultural land assessment relief to include citrus lands taken out of production due to citrus greening disease, in addition to Hurricane Irma damage, with a 5-year classification period.

REQUIREMENT

Required forwarding agents to surrender certificates under specific circumstances including cessation of business, address changes, or changes in principal business activity.

Added requirements for rural funds to submit detailed reports on eligible investments, jobs created, and financial information to the Department of Commerce.

TIMELINE

Extended the date by which local communications services tax rates may not be increased from January 1, 2023 to January 1, 2026.

ENFORCEMENT

Established recapture mechanisms for Rural Community Investment Program tax credits if rural funds fail to meet investment requirements, with a 6-month cure period and potential penalties for fraud.

TECHNICAL

Added provisions for electronic hearings before the value adjustment board, allowing petitioners to appear remotely if requested in writing at least 10 days before the hearing.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
8
Key actions
2
Committee
3
Apr 16, 2025
Introduced
Introduced
upper
Apr 16, 2025
Committee
Referred to Appropriations
upper
Apr 15, 2025
Upper · Passed
Submitted as Committee Bill and Reported Favorably by Finance and Tax; YEAS 3 NAYS 1
upper
Apr 10, 2025
Upper · Passed
On Committee agenda-- Finance and Tax, 04/15/25, 12:30 pm, 301 Senate Building
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.