201.23 Foreign notes and other written obligations exempt.—
(1) There shall be exempt from all excise taxes imposed by this chapter:
(a) All promissory notes, nonnegotiable notes, and other written obligations to pay money bearing date on or after July 1, 1977, if the makers thereof or the obligors thereunder, at the time of the making or execution thereof, are individuals residing outside the United States or business organizations or other persons located outside the United States.
(b) All drafts or bills of exchange drawn upon and, on or after July 1, 1977, accepted by a bank having an office in Florida, which arise out of transactions involving the importation or exportation of goods or the storage of goods abroad, or drawn by banks or bankers in foreign countries or dependencies or insular possessions of the United States for the purpose of furnishing dollar exchange as required by the usages of trade in the respective countries, dependencies, or insular possessions, if at the date of the acceptance of any of the foregoing the drawer of the draft or bill of exchange or the persons for whose benefit the financing is conducted are individuals residing outside the United States or business organizations or other persons located outside the United States.
(c) Any promissory note, nonnegotiable note, or other written obligation to pay money if the note or obligation is executed and delivered outside this state and at the time of its making is secured only by a mortgage, deed of trust, or similar security agreement encumbering real estate located outside this state and if such promissory note, nonnegotiable note, or other written obligation for payment of money is brought into this state for deposit as collateral security under a wholesale warehouse mortgage agreement or for inclusion in a pool of mortgages deposited with a custodian as security for obligations issued by an agency of the United States Government or for inclusion in a pool of mortgages to be serviced for the account of a customer by a mortgage lender licensed or exempt from licensing under part III of chapter 494.
(2) The exemptions provided in this chapter shall not apply:
(a) To mortgages, trust deeds, security agreements, or other evidences of indebtedness relating to the purchase or transfer of real property located in Florida and filed or recorded in the state, which shall be taxable as if they were entered into within this state.
(b) If the purpose of the financing evidenced by any instrument described in paragraph (1)(a) is to finance all or any part of the purchase of real estate located in Florida or personal property for use in Florida. However, the obligee under any such instrument shall be entitled to rely on a written certificate by the makers thereof or the obligors thereunder that no part of the proceeds of such financing is intended for any such purpose.
(c) If, at the date of any instrument described in paragraph (1)(a) or at the date of acceptance of any instrument described in paragraph (1)(b), a majority of the equity securities of any maker of any instrument described in paragraph (1)(a) or of any obligor thereunder, or of any drawer or person for whose benefit the financing referred to in paragraph (1)(b) is conducted, are owned by individuals residing within the United States or business organizations or other persons located within the United States. However, the obligee under or acceptor of any such instrument shall be entitled to rely upon the written certificate of each maker, obligor, or person for whose benefit the financing is conducted, other than an individual, certifying that a majority of its equity securities are not owned by individuals residing within the United States or business organizations or other persons located within the United States.
(3) The provisions of this section shall not be construed so as to impair the obligation of any contract entered into prior to July 1, 1977.
(4)(a) The excise taxes imposed by this chapter shall not apply to the documents, notes, evidences of indebtedness, financing statements, drafts, bills of exchange, or other taxable items dealt with, made, issued, drawn upon, accepted, delivered, shipped, received, signed, executed, assigned, transferred, or sold by or to a banking organization in the conduct of an international banking transaction. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to change the application of paragraph (2)(a).
(b) For purposes of this subsection, the term:
1. “Banking organization” means:
a. A bank organized and existing under the laws of any state;
b. A national bank organized and existing pursuant to the provisions of the National Bank Act, 12 U.S.C. ss. 21 et seq.;
c. An Edge Act corporation organized pursuant to the provisions of s. 25(a) of the Federal Reserve Act, 12 U.S.C. ss. 611 et seq.;
d. An international bank agency licensed pursuant to the laws of any state;
e. A federal agency licensed pursuant to ss. 4 and 5 of the International Banking Act of 1978;
f. A savings association organized and existing under the laws of any state;
g. A federal association organized and existing pursuant to the provisions of the Home Owners’ Loan Act of 1933, 12 U.S.C. ss. 1461 et seq.; or
h. A Florida export finance corporation organized and existing pursuant to the provisions of part V of chapter 288.
2. “International banking transaction” means:
a. The financing of the exportation from, or the importation into, the United States or between jurisdictions abroad of tangible personal property or services;
b. The financing of the production, preparation, storage, or transportation of tangible personal property or services which are identifiable as being directly and solely for export from, or import into, the United States or between jurisdictions abroad;
c. The financing of contracts, projects, or activities to be performed substantially abroad, except those transactions secured by a mortgage, deed of trust, or other lien upon real property located in the state;
d. The receipt of deposits or borrowings or the extensions of credit by an international banking facility, except the loan or deposit of funds secured by mortgage, deed of trust, or other lien upon real property located in the state; or
e. Entering into foreign exchange trading or hedging transactions in connection with the activities described in sub-subparagraph d.
History.—s. 1, ch. 77-463; s. 9, ch. 79-350; s. 92, ch. 79-400; s. 5, ch. 80-136; s. 3, ch. 81-179; s. 53, ch. 91-245; s. 34, ch. 2005-280; s. 64, ch. 2009-241.
