However, this year, income growth exceeded tax growth. Federal taxes alone take up 1 hour and 52 minutes of the eight hour work day. Add to this state and local tax obligations, and the average Floridian works 2 hours and 44 minutes daily just to pay the tax collector. By contrast, housing and utility costs take 1 hour and 16 minutes, health and medical care takes 50 minutes, and food requires 41 minutes. Past Taxpayer Independence Days have been revised to reflect changing estimates.
All years cited in discussion of Tax Freedom Day are calendar.
The Tax Index is on a fiscal year basis. Tax growth slowed considerably in the 1990s. This trend is true for all three levels of government. Local Tax Growth Has Slowed Considerably Until 1992, the largest growth in taxes for Floridians were coming from local governments. This growth has slowed considerably since then, so much so that local government tax growth is smaller than that of both state and federal governments during the 1990s.