HB 135

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to local business taxes; amending s.
3205.0535, F.S.; updating provisions authorizing
4reclassification and new rate structure revisions to local
5business taxes by ordinance; deleting counties from such
6authorization provisions; authorizing decreasing local
7business tax rates; providing construction with respect to
8decreasing or repealing such taxes; providing an effective
9date.
10
11Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13     Section 1.  Subsections (1) and (4) of section 205.0535,
14Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
15     205.0535  Reclassification and rate structure revisions.--
16     (1)  By October 1, 2007 1995, any municipality that has
17adopted by ordinance a local business tax after October 1, 1995,
18or county may, by ordinance, reclassify businesses, professions,
19and occupations and may establish new rate structures, if the
20conditions specified in subsections (2) and (3) are met. A
21person who is engaged in the business of providing local
22exchange telephone service or a pay telephone service in a
23municipality or in the unincorporated area of a county and who
24pays the business tax under the category designated for
25telephone companies or a pay telephone service provider
26certified pursuant to s. 364.3375 is deemed to have but one
27place of business or business location in each municipality or
28unincorporated area of a county. Pay telephone service providers
29may not be assessed a business tax on a per-instrument basis.
30     (4)  After the conditions specified in subsections (2) and
31(3) are met, municipalities and counties may, every other year
32thereafter, increase or decrease by ordinance the rates of
33business taxes by up to 5 percent. An The increase, however, may
34not be enacted by less than a majority plus one vote of the
35governing body. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to
36prohibit a municipality or county from decreasing or repealing
37any business tax authorized under this chapter.
38     Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.