Mon, Apr 12, 2010
Lakeland Bound Flyers May Want To Take Note
That "ol' debbil" (the tax man), is
at it again... even after we thought we might see the last of him
on this one particular issue. NBAA has issued a Call To Action
expressing concern over the on-going pocketbook peril that might be
incurred by pilots operating recently acquired aircraft in the
so-called Sunshine State.
NBAA notes that, "The Florida House of Representatives recently
passed House Bill 173 to remove the onerous use tax often applied
to visiting out-of-state aircraft. Unfortunately, the accompanying
Senate Bill that would provide similar tax relief has stalled. In
order for this important tax reform measure to become law, Senate
Bill 220 (SB 220) must move out of Committee and be passed by the
entire Senate.
Under current Florida law, operators of aircraft landing in the
state that were purchased within the six months prior to their
visit can be forced to pay up to a 6% tax on the aircraft's sales
price. This tax policy forces aircraft operators out of Florida and
drives aviation related services such as maintenance, repair, and
overhaul to other states.
With the legislative session coming to an end in a few days,
NBAA Members are encouraged to contact members of the Florida
Senate Finance & Tax Committee. Members should respectfully and
politely urge the State Senators to make every effort to move SB
220 out of Committee and on to a vote in the full Senate.
While NBAA is actively engaged in advocating for this important
legislation, it is critical for Members based in Florida to contact
their elected officials and explain how Florida's current sales and
use tax structure is having a negative impact on aviation business
in the State. Aviation is an economic driver in Florida,
contributing over $7.5 billion to the State's economy and
accounting for 8.7 million jobs."
ANN E-I-C Note: ANN is gratified to see the
NBAA maintain their expert vigilance on this issue (which is one of
the reasons that NBAA is one of the few organizations that we have
actually joined). Readers may recall our investigations and
associated stories on this issue from years past, including the
tales told by some unwary OUT-OF-STATE pilots who got fleeced for
tens or thousands of dollars for the inexcusable crime of thinking
that Florida might be a nice place to visit. Readers might also
remember that the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In once called our reports and
warnings on this issue false and even resorted to the bizarre
tactic of distributing a press release that actually
said so. In one case, EAA republished the press release
for a short period of time, and upon being alerted to the
errors within, thereafter retracted the release and
apologized for its publication. ANN wonders whether we can expect a
similar attack on NBAA after this recent Call To Action or whether
they're simply going to have to sit quietly by and admit that our
reports were correct all along... (yeah, we're not holding our
breath).
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