Florida House Speaker Perez defends tax break for diplomats after Brazil ambassador nod from Trump

Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald on Jun 2, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

MIAMI — Fresh off a nomination from President Donald Trump to be the next U.S. ambassador to Brazil, outgoing Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez on Tuesday denied coordinating with the White House over a newly approved state tax break that could personally benefit him if he is confirmed for the diplomatic post.

The Miami Republican’s comments came one day after Trump announced Perez’s nomination to serve as ambassador to Brazil and just four days after Florida lawmakers approved a measure allowing homeowners who leave the country to serve as U.S. diplomats to retain their homestead property tax benefits while abroad.

The timing has drawn scrutiny because Perez, who backed the legislation during his tenure as speaker, now stands to qualify for the tax break if he is confirmed by the U.S. Senate and relocates to Brasilia.

“I want to make sure that because someone is making a decision to serve their country — humbly, and in an honorable manner — that their homestead property all of a sudden isn’t relinquished,” Perez told reporters on the House floor. “This was something that was in the books well before, obviously, the nomination. And no, there was no conjunction with the White House on the policy and the ambassadorship.”

“This is a moment to tip your hat to the president of the United States, recognizing that there is a significant amount of talent — myself excluded — in Florida,” Perez added.

While leaving the House chamber, Perez did not respond to shouted questions about whether he speaks Portuguese, the official language of Brazil. A spokesperson for Perez has not responded to a text message sent by Herald/Times late Monday regarding the speaker’s Portuguese proficiency.

The tax break for U.S. diplomats, among other federal appointees, provision was tucked into a broader tax package approved by lawmakers on Friday. Under current law, Florida homeowners generally must maintain permanent residency in the state to keep homestead protections, which can significantly reduce property-tax bills and limit annual increases in taxable value.

The new language would create an exception for Floridians serving full-time as a federal “diplomatic, intelligence, consular or foreign service officer” outside the state. Those officials could continue claiming a homestead exemption on their Florida property even while living abroad and renting the property to tenants — a benefit that can typically reduce a home’s taxable value by as much as $50,000.

If signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the change would apply retroactively to this year’s property-tax roll.

The chair of the Florida House’s tax-writing committee, Republican Rep. Wyman Duggan of Jacksonville, told lawmakers last week that the late-added provision was conceived as a blanket benefit for federal appointees — “not for any particular person.”

But critics have questioned whether lawmakers adequately vetted a measure that could soon apply to one of the state’s most powerful elected officials. The provision received little public attention until after Trump’s nomination announcement.

Independent journalist Jason Garcia first reported on the measure’s potential benefits for Trump appointees last week.

Perez, a Cuban-American attorney who terms out from the House this year, has emerged as one of Florida Republicans’ most influential and divisive figures. As speaker, he frequently clashed with Gov. Ron DeSantis over spending, taxes and legislative priorities, even as he maintained close ties with Trump and the president’s political orbit.

If confirmed, Perez would take over a high-profile diplomatic assignment at a delicate moment in U.S.-Brazil relations. Brazil is Latin America’s largest economy and a key U.S. trading partner, but relations between Washington and Brasília have grown increasingly strained amid disputes over trade, social media regulation and the treatment of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally.

The nomination now heads to the U.S. Senate, where Perez is likely to face questions about his diplomatic experience, foreign-policy views and familiarity with Brazil as part of the confirmation process.

_____