DeSantis to Make Major Changes to Baby Tax. What Does it Mean for Parents?

Photo by220219013 / American © Volodymyr Tverdokhlib | Dreamstime.com

Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis announced a $114.8 billion budget plan, which would permanently remove all infant essentials, including strollers and formula, pet medications, and even the contentious gas stove, from sales taxes.

Four permanent sales tax holidays reaching $1.5 billion are proposed by the governor in his "Framework for Freedom" for the state budget for 2023 on items such as cribs and strollers, over-the-counter pet pharmaceuticals, gas stoves, and infant and toddler essentials.

DeSantis admitted that raising kids is hard enough, so making these things permanently tax-free might help parents lessen their burden.

Helping new parents

Starting a family is already too expensive for many even to consider this option. And DeSantis administration seems to be supporting everyone who is willing to try.

"Now, you get baby food, diapers, wipes, baby clothes, the whole shebang, including things like cribs and strollers, which are very, very expensive. So that is going to be permanently tax-free in the state of Florida. We're also doing a permanent exclusion on all over-the-counter pet medications because they're parts of our families, too," DeSantis said.

"And then we just added, because I think it needs to be done, no tax permanently on gas stoves," he continued. "They want your gas stove, and we're not going to let that happen."

DeSantis also conceded that electric stoves are more common in Florida.

More than ten temporary sales tax exemptions are also included in DeSantis' proposal for toys and children's books, certain household items and clothing, children's athletic equipment, and outdoor recreation items.

"We're also doing one-year sales tax holidays for household items under $25," the governor said. "And so that'll be everything from detergent to trash bags. These are necessities, and people are going to be able to get those tax-free."

What do you think about sales tax exemptions?

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