Senator José Javier Rodríguez (D-Miami) filed SB 1592 this week. If passed, it would provide a tax rebate to Floridian working families that received the Earned Income Tax Credit on their filed federal tax return. The rebate would be equal to 10% of what families received from the EITC, recognizing the state taxes working families pay through the year such as sales, gas, communications and property taxes. The estimated average state credit through the Working Families Tax Rebate Program would be $250, some relief to help working families pay for groceries, medical emergencies, and the rising cost of living.
Working families with low to moderate income contribute a larger portion of their income than those who make more in a state like Florida with a regressive tax structure. SB 1592 is a step toward improving tax fairness for working households struggling to make ends meet. Twenty nine states have already enacted their own version of the EITC.
Senator José Javier Rodríguez offered the following statement:
“The federal earned income tax credit gives working families a break by returning a portion of earned wages. It has bipartisan if not universal support, lauded by experts as one of the most effective means of lifting up families. My proposal builds off of the federal credit and would also rebate working families for state sales, gas, communications and other taxes.”
This legislation builds on the foundation laid by SB 254 (Working Persons Tax Rebate Study) filed in the latter half of 2019, the subject of a workshop on November 5 in the Commerce and Tourism Committee. HB 1021 is the House version of the bill, filed last month by Representative Javier Fernández (D-Miami).
