Florida Senate - 2024 SB 1570
By Senator Torres
25-00112A-24 20241570__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to Working Floridians Tax Rebate
3 Program; creating s. 220.925, F.S.; specifying that
4 the annual taxes generated from a certain tax shall be
5 allocated to the Working Floridians Tax Rebate
6 Program; creating the Working Floridians Tax Rebate
7 Program; specifying the purpose of the rebate program;
8 specifying the qualifications for a person or
9 household to receive the rebate; requiring the
10 Department of Revenue to issue rebate payments not
11 exceeding a certain amount by a specified time;
12 requiring the department to allocate the rebates in a
13 specified manner; requiring the department to prepare
14 and submit a specified report; prohibiting that a
15 person’s receipt of a rebate be used in determining
16 eligibility for specified programs; requiring the
17 department to adopt rules; providing applicability;
18 providing an effective date.
19
20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
21
22 Section 1. Section 220.925, Florida Statutes, is created to
23 read:
24 220.925 Working Floridians Tax Rebate Program.—
25 (1) Beginning the 2024-2025 fiscal year, and for each
26 subsequent fiscal year, the annual taxes generated from the
27 nonresident entertainer and professional athlete tax imposed
28 under s. 220.923 shall be allocated to the Working Floridians
29 Tax Rebate Program as described in subsection (2).
30 (2) The Working Floridians Tax Rebate Program is created
31 within the department to provide low-income and moderate-income
32 residents relief on the sales taxes, fuel taxes, property taxes,
33 or other taxes and fees that they pay in this state during the
34 year, consistent with the goals of the federal Earned Income Tax
35 Credit.
36 (a) Each person or household that qualified for and
37 received the federal Earned Income Tax Credit in a specific tax
38 year may receive a rebate from the state if the person or
39 household:
40 1. Maintains a Florida residence on the person’s or
41 household’s federal income tax return during the tax year in
42 which the person or household is applying for the Working
43 Floridians Tax Rebate Program;
44 2. Applies to the department, using a form developed by the
45 department, no later than June 30 of the year in which the
46 federal Earned Income Tax Credit was received; and
47 3. Provides the department with documentation verifying the
48 receipt and specific amount of the federal Earned Income Tax
49 Credit.
50 (b) Within 30 days after receiving a completed application
51 and verifying the information required under paragraph (a), the
52 department shall issue a check or remit funds using direct
53 deposit to the person or household in an amount not to exceed 20
54 percent of the amount of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit
55 the person or household received. The department shall allocate
56 the rebates to eligible applicants on a first-come, first-served
57 basis, determined by the date the department receives an
58 application, until all appropriated funds for the fiscal year
59 are expended.
60 (c) The department shall prepare and submit a report by
61 December 31, 2026, to the Governor and Cabinet, the President of
62 the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the
63 Senate Minority Leader, and the House of Representatives
64 Minority Leader which addresses the feasibility of creating and
65 implementing an automatic Working Floridians Tax Rebate Program
66 using data provided by the Internal Revenue Service or another
67 federal agency so that a person or household may receive funds
68 from the state without having to complete an annual application
69 and provide documentation as set forth in paragraph (a).
70 1. If the department determines that an automatic program
71 is not feasible, the report must identify specific barriers to
72 the creation of an automatic program and provide recommendations
73 to remove the barriers.
74 2. If the department determines that an automatic program
75 is feasible, the report must include a legislative proposal to
76 implement the automatic program.
77 (d) Receipt of the rebate under this section may not be
78 used to determine a person’s or household’s eligibility for
79 Medicaid, Florida Kidcare, cash assistance, or the Supplemental
80 Nutrition Assistance Program established under 7 U.S.C. ss. 2011
81 et seq.
82 (e) The department shall adopt rules to implement the
83 Working Floridians Tax Rebate Program.
84 Section 2. Section 220.925, Florida Statutes, as created by
85 this act, applies to a federal Earned Income Tax Credit granted
86 beginning on or after January 1, 2025.
87 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.