Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson recently announced that farmers can apply for the Florida Farm Tax Exempt Agricultural Materials (TEAM) Card beginning Jan. 1, 2024. The card can be used for sales-tax-exempt purchases of agricultural materials. The Florida Department of Revenue will accept online and mailed applications.
The plastic wallet-sized Florida Farm TEAM Card is a physical alternative to the paper exemption certificates. Farmers who wish to apply for or learn more about the Florida Farm TEAM Card can visit fdacs.gov/FarmTEAM.
“I am pleased to make this exciting announcement that will help to alleviate administrative burdens felt by farmers and agricultural retailers in Florida, allowing them to focus more on the crucial work of feeding our state and nation,” Simpson said. “The Florida Farm TEAM Card serves as an invaluable tool for simplifying the process of claiming sales tax exemptions on agricultural materials and is a win for those who keep clothes on our back, food on our shelves and our economy thriving.”
Simpson praised the creation of the Florida Farm TEAM Card through the passage of Florida Senate Bill 1164 during the 2023 Florida legislative session. The bill was aimed at modernizing and reducing the burden of the current practice of submitting a paper form for every tax-exempt purchase of agricultural materials. The Florida Farm TEAM Card, a free alternative to agricultural producers, will help to make Florida a more farmer friendly state to purchase needed agricultural supplies and goods.
Earlier in 2023, when the legislation creating the TEAM Card was proposed, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) issued a statement telling why it was needed. “The current process that Florida farmers are forced to participate in to receive the tax relief they are currently afforded has become so onerous that they are crossing state lines to participate in neighboring state programs that aren’t as burdensome,” FDACS stated.
Source: FDACS