Florida Weighs Ending Property Taxes, Sending the Bill to People Who Apologize When You Step on Their Foot
Florida lawmakers are considering a plan to eliminate property taxes for residents and cover the gap by charging non-residents more. In practice, "non-residents" means roughly a million Canadians who own condos within walking distance of an early-bird special.
The reasoning is tidy. Canadians cannot vote in Florida. Canadians rarely complain at a volume anyone can hear. And Canadians have spent decades paying supply-managed prices for cheese at home, which shows they will accept almost any increase as long as it comes with a polite form letter.
Supporters call it "tax fairness." Critics point out that Florida already lost a noticeable share of Canadian visitors during the tariff fight. Charging the ones who stayed a premium is a bit like reacting to an empty restaurant by raising the prices at the one table still eating.
Snowbirds in Fort Myers are organizing. A petition has been drafted. Its first line is "We hate to be a bother."
Local real estate agents are more alarmed than the snowbirds. One in Sarasota noted that Canadians are the only buyers who read the HOA bylaws in full and then actually follow them. "You tax those people," she said, "and you get Ohioans."
The state's fiscal analysts estimate the plan would make up only part of the lost revenue. Lawmakers say they will close the rest of the gap with a second charge collected when the Canadians leave. Florida calls it an exit fee. Canadians call it April.