House Bill 817 proposes significant changes to the taxation of rental real property and tax exemptions for production companies in Florida. The bill repeals Section 212.031, which imposed a tax on rental or license fees for commercial real property, and Section 212.099, which provided a tax credit for contributions to eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organizations. It also amends several sections of Florida Statutes, including Section 212.0598, to align with these changes and introduces a new definition for "qualified production services" in Section 212.0602. The amendments aim to streamline the tax structure for air carriers and entertainment industry production companies, thereby simplifying the tax landscape for these sectors.

Additionally, the bill allows qualified production companies to renew a 1-year certificate of exemption for sales and use tax for up to five years without resubmitting a new application. It also introduces a 90-day certificate of exemption for production companies that can be renewed upon expiration. The bill clarifies that the Florida Turnpike Enterprise is not required to pay commercial rental tax on capital improvements related to business services on the turnpike system and updates the definition of "eligible contribution" in the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program by removing specific references to sections of the tax code. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
H 817 Filed: 212.031, 212.0598, 212.0602, 212.08, 212.099, 338.234, 341.840, 1002.395