Now that APOA has validated this threat is real, it is up to pilots of new planes to decide if they want to risk flying to Florida. If I was in that position I just would not go there. I don't think attending Sun and Fun is worth getting stuck with a significant tax bill. I hope Florida ends up losing revenue, which is the appropriate payback for their aggressive policy.
By the way, will that apply to manufacturers displaying their new aircraft? Is Florida unknowingly killing Sun and Fun? Now let's learn from this. If we allow the Federal government to implement user fees to fund the FAA, pilots will do whatever they can to avoid using services which require a fee. The FAA will be short of revenue and will just respond by implementing more user fees. That's a destructive cycle that we must avoid at all costs. Just saying... Eliacim ----- Original Message ----- From: Dan Caliendo To: ercoupe tech Sent: Friday, March 21, 2008 10:40 AM Subject: [ercoupe-tech] Florida use tax conversations AOPA asks for moratorium on Florida use tax By AOPA ePublishing staff Imagine that you recently bought an airplane and you want to take it on vacation, maybe a family trip to sunny Florida. Think again. The state Department of Revenue has recently been charging Florida use tax on any airplane that is brought to the state within six months of being bought if the owner did not pay at least 6-percent sales tax at the time of purchase. AOPA has been working with the Florida Department of Transportation and state lawmakers to resolve the issue. And now AOPA President Phil Boyer has contacted Gov. Charlie Crist, asking him to put a moratorium on the tax until legislators can address the problem, especially with so many pilots about to visit Florida for the annual Sun ’n Fun Fly-In. In a March 19 letter to the governor, Boyer warned that the aggressive tax enforcement is keeping many general aviation pilots from visiting the state, which typically receives 9 million visitors and $2.3 billion in revenue through GA each year. AOPA Expo is scheduled to be held in Tampa in 2009. March 20, 2008
