Good news for Florida muni bond investors: Significant changes in the Florida Intangible Personal Property Tax regulations for 2004 increase the exemptions for individual taxpayers.
The state has increased the exemption from $20,000.00 to $250,000.00 and from $40,000.00 to $500,000.00 for joint filers. All assets above these exemption levels are subject to taxes of $1.00 per $1,000.00 of value
If you file between January 1 and May 31, discounts range from 1% to 4%, depending on when they are received.
The increase in the exemption is important to Florida tax-free bondholders because it will allow them to own more municipal bonds issued by other states. This will give “in state” buyers an opportunity to enhance the diversification of their bond portfolios.