The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce supports legislation to eliminate sales tax on the purchase of manufacturing equipment and urges you to call or email your state Senator and Representative TODAY to urge them to vote in favor of creating jobs and supporting manufacturing in Florida.
House Bill 391 and its Senate companion bills, SB 518 and 316, expand the state's existing exemption to all businesses in the state by eliminating a requirement that expanding businesses must demonstrate the purchases will increase productivity by at least 5 percent to qualify. Gov. Rick Scott has made the elimination of the manufacturing sales tax a top priority of his this year, and the time to act is now.
Florida is one of the only states in the country - and the only one out of 12 Southern states - that does not offer a comprehensive sales tax break for manufacturers.
Manufacturing accounts for more than 300,000 jobs in Florida spread among 17,000 companies, and the average manufacturing salary is over $50,000, about $10,000 more than the overall average for private jobs in the state.
Because this is the last week of the legislative session, last minute deals come together often. While the bill number might change, HB 391 is the one to watch. But whatever form it comes in, we want to ensure our representatives in Tallahassee are voting in favor of it.
Call or email our Hillsborough delegation today and tell them to vote in favor in favor of eliminating sales tax on the purchase of manufacturing equipment. | 
