HB 473 Summary: Bottled Water Excise Tax

• Imposes a 12.5 cents per gallon excise tax on bottled water operators who extract water from Florida's waters of the state and bottle or package it for sale, excluding those using public water systems.

• Requires bottled water operators to file monthly tax returns by the 25th of each month with the Department of Revenue, including extraction amounts, sources, counties, and facility locations.

• Directs tax proceeds to the Wastewater Treatment and Stormwater Management Revolving Loan Trust Fund for grants and loans to local governments, with priority for projects connecting onsite sewage systems to central sewerage.

• Establishes penalties including 12 percent annual interest on unpaid taxes, delinquency penalties of 10 percent per month (up to 50 percent) if tax is due, 30 percent penalty for substantial underpayments (exceeding 35 percent of monthly tax due), and a flat $50 monthly fee (up to $300) if no tax is owed.

• Provides Department of Revenue with authority to audit, assess, issue warrants, and pursue collection through liens and tax executions; establishes criminal penalties up to felony of the third degree for willful tax evasion.

• Takes effect July 1, 2022.