Florida Senate - 2026                              CS for SB 680
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Regulated Industries; and Senator Mayfield
       
       
       
       
       
       580-02246-26                                           2026680c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to electric vehicle charging taxation;
    3         amending s. 212.08, F.S.; exempting certain
    4         electricity sold to owners or operators of an electric
    5         vehicle charging station from the sales and use tax;
    6         providing applicability; requiring owners or operators
    7         of electric vehicle charging stations to furnish a
    8         specified affidavit under certain circumstances;
    9         providing a presumption relating to the purpose and
   10         taxation of certain electricity; providing civil and
   11         criminal penalties; specifying that possession of a
   12         specified affidavit relieves electric utilities of
   13         certain responsibilities; requiring the Department of
   14         Revenue to look solely to owners or operators for
   15         recovery of the tax under certain circumstances;
   16         defining terms; requiring the department to adopt
   17         rules; authorizing the department to adopt emergency
   18         rules; providing an effective date.
   19          
   20  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   21  
   22         Section 1. Paragraph (ffff) is added to subsection (7) of
   23  section 212.08, Florida Statutes, to read:
   24         212.08 Sales, rental, use, consumption, distribution, and
   25  storage tax; specified exemptions.—The sale at retail, the
   26  rental, the use, the consumption, the distribution, and the
   27  storage to be used or consumed in this state of the following
   28  are hereby specifically exempt from the tax imposed by this
   29  chapter.
   30         (7) MISCELLANEOUS EXEMPTIONS.—Exemptions provided to any
   31  entity by this chapter do not inure to any transaction that is
   32  otherwise taxable under this chapter when payment is made by a
   33  representative or employee of the entity by any means,
   34  including, but not limited to, cash, check, or credit card, even
   35  when that representative or employee is subsequently reimbursed
   36  by the entity. In addition, exemptions provided to any entity by
   37  this subsection do not inure to any transaction that is
   38  otherwise taxable under this chapter unless the entity has
   39  obtained a sales tax exemption certificate from the department
   40  or the entity obtains or provides other documentation as
   41  required by the department. Eligible purchases or leases made
   42  with such a certificate must be in strict compliance with this
   43  subsection and departmental rules, and any person who makes an
   44  exempt purchase with a certificate that is not in strict
   45  compliance with this subsection and the rules is liable for and
   46  shall pay the tax. The department may adopt rules to administer
   47  this subsection.
   48         (ffff) Electricity sold to an owner or operator of an
   49  electric vehicle charging station.—
   50         1.Electricity, including electricity used for necessary
   51  supporting equipment and infrastructure, is exempt from the tax
   52  imposed by this chapter if the electricity is sold to an owner
   53  or operator of an electric vehicle charging station and used for
   54  the primary purpose of providing electric vehicle charging to a
   55  consumer or any person pursuant to s. 366.94.
   56         2. This exemption applies only if the electricity used for
   57  the exempt purpose specified in subparagraph 1. is separately
   58  metered at the point of delivery from the electric utility to
   59  the owner or operator of the electric vehicle charging station.
   60  If claiming an exemption pursuant to this paragraph, the owner
   61  or operator of the electric vehicle charging station must
   62  furnish the electric utility with an affidavit, on a form
   63  adopted by department rule, attesting that the electricity is
   64  used for the exempt purpose specified in subparagraph 1. If the
   65  electricity is not separately metered at the point of delivery
   66  from the electric utility to the owner or operator, it is
   67  conclusively presumed that some portion of the electricity is
   68  used for a nonexempt purpose, and all such electricity is
   69  taxable.
   70         3. Any person that furnishes a false affidavit to the
   71  electric utility for the purpose of evading payment of any tax
   72  imposed under this chapter shall be subject to the penalties set
   73  forth in s. 212.085 and as otherwise provided by law.
   74         4. Possession by an electric utility of an affidavit
   75  furnished pursuant to this paragraph by an owner or operator of
   76  an electric vehicle charging station relieves the electric
   77  utility of the responsibility of collecting the tax on the sale
   78  of the electricity from which the exemption is claimed, and the
   79  department shall look solely to the owner or operator for
   80  recovery of the tax if it determines that the owner or operator
   81  was not entitled to the exemption.
   82         5. As used in this paragraph, the term:
   83         a.“Electric utility” has the same meaning as in s. 366.02.
   84         b.“Electric vehicle charging station” has the same meaning
   85  as in s. 366.94(2).
   86         c.“Necessary supporting equipment and infrastructure”
   87  means equipment and infrastructure reasonably necessary for the
   88  safe and efficient operation of an electric vehicle charging
   89  station. The term does not include equipment or facilities
   90  primarily used for commercial purposes unrelated to electric
   91  vehicle charging. The term includes all of the following:
   92         (I)Lighting and other public safety-related systems.
   93         (II)User interface and payment systems.
   94         (III)Advertising media and informational signage relating
   95  to the electric vehicle charging station and located within the
   96  immediate vicinity of the station.
   97         (IV)Equipment used for electric vehicle charging,
   98  including conductors, connectors, attachment plugs, energy
   99  storage and management systems, communication and control
  100  systems, and personnel protection systems.
  101         (V)All other fittings, electrical infrastructure, devices,
  102  power outlets, or apparatuses installed specifically for the
  103  purpose of transferring energy between the premise’s wiring and
  104  an electric vehicle.
  105         6. The department must adopt rules governing the form for
  106  the affidavit specified in subparagraph 2.
  107         Section 2. The Department of Revenue is authorized, and all
  108  conditions are deemed met, to adopt emergency rules pursuant to
  109  s. 120.54(4), Florida Statutes, to implement the amendments made
  110  by this act to s. 212.08, Florida Statutes.
  111         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.