TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — State lawmakers in Tallahassee are in the throes of their 2023 regular session and soon they will work to pass a budget for the upcoming fiscal year — one thing they are considering could save pet owners some money.
In February, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled his nearly $115 billion budget proposal. Among his asks was a proposed tax break on pet food and a permanent tax exemption on over-the-counter pet medication for things like flea and tick prevention.
For a year, it would treat pet food like groceries and put over-the-counter medicine in the same position as medicine you get prescribed from a veterinarian, neither would be subject to sales tax.
"As much as we understand how important it is for families raising children, we also understand that for a lot of families, it's not just the children that they look after. It is also their pets that they look after," DeSantis said when unveiling his proposal. “So, we are going to be able to do and propose a one-year sales tax exemption on all pet food. That's going to make a big difference.”
How big of a difference? Between my dog and cat, we spend roughly $70 per month on pet food. In Pinellas County, we pay a 7% sales tax on that, roughly an extra $5 per month. In total, the exemption on food would save us $60 on the year.
It’s not a huge amount, but it’s still something, of course, how much you save depends on the amount of money you spend and/or the number of pets you have.
Other states have considered making pet food tax-free — in Michigan, animal advocates expressed that it could lead to more pet adoptions and fewer surrenders.
The exemptions would take a decent bite out of state revenue, nearly $189 million dollars, though the state has seen a record surplus in recent years.
Budget talks at the capitol will begin soon, we’ll keep you updated to see if the pet exemptions make the final cut.