In the Florida gubernatorial race, Republican nominee Rep. Byron Donalds has released an advertisement claiming his Democratic opponent, David Jolly, intends to increase taxes on Social Security benefits, overtime earnings, and tips.
The commercial, produced by the Friends of Byron Donalds political action committee, features a restaurant worker wiping down tables while the narrator asserts, “You wait tables to make ends meet, and David Jolly wants to tax you more for it.” The spot continues with similar claims regarding overtime work and retirement income, branding Jolly as a liberal who wants higher levies on these revenue streams.
Donalds disseminated the social media ad on August 24, highlighting his own congressional voting record in favor of legislation eliminating taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security, while maintaining that Jolly opposed those measures.
While Donalds is pointing to a federal bill from 2025, Jolly was not a member of Congress at the time and therefore did not vote on it. Rather, Jolly publicly criticized the legislation because it reduced funding for Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) while providing tax cuts to corporations and billionaires.
Jolly is not pushing for increased taxes on wages or Social Security benefits. He maintains that standard wage taxation is appropriate, though he remains open to targeted tax relief for certain tipped income.
Crucially, a Florida governor holds no jurisdiction over these specific taxes because Florida does not levy a state income tax.
Requests for comment sent to Donalds’ campaign went unanswered. However, the supporting PAC pointed to Jolly’s July 2025 MSNBC appearance as proof of his opposition to tax relief for families and seniors. During that segment, Jolly critiqued the One Big Beautiful Bill Act without addressing its provisions concerning older Americans, tips, or overtime, focusing instead on potential disruptions to healthcare, food assistance, and utilities.
Jolly’s Stance on Social Security and Income Taxes
During his time in Congress, Donalds backed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which contains short-term tax reductions for many seniors, overtime pay, and tipped wages. These provisions are scheduled to expire in 2028 unless Congress extends them.
Jolly, a former Republican who served in the House from 2014 to 2017, stated on X that had he been in office, he likely would have opposed the measure due to provisions he viewed as overly favorable to the White House, Donalds’ donors, and personal enrichment.
Furthermore, Jolly clarified that he does not support taxing Social Security. While he believes wages should generally be taxed regardless of source, he expressed support for tax relief on tip income that exceeds standard wages.
This indicates an openness to tax breaks for tipped earnings that rise above standard hourly minimums—such as the federal $7.25 rate or Florida’s $14 minimum wage—earned by non-tipped workers.
There is no record of Jolly advocating for taxes on Social Security, nor did he make statements regarding the taxation of tips and overtime prior to the release of Donalds’ ad. No legislation specifically aimed at eliminating taxes on tips or overtime reached a vote during his congressional tenure.
Fact-Check Summary
An ad from Donalds claimed that Jolly wants increased taxation on tips, overtime, and Social Security.
The commercial stems from Jolly’s criticism of a federal tax and spending package that featured temporary exemptions for tips, overtime, and seniors. Jolly was not in Congress when the bill was considered, and his opposition centered on cuts to safety-net programs like Medicaid and SNAP, alongside corporate tax breaks.
Jolly has explicitly stated he does not favor taxing Social Security. He views wage taxation as standard practice, though he is receptive to tax reductions on tips exceeding baseline worker pay.
Furthermore, the claim has little relevance to a state gubernatorial race. Florida lacks a state income tax, meaning a governor has no authority to alter or implement taxes on tips, overtime, or Social Security, which are governed at the federal level. Jolly has not proposed that Congress raise these taxes.
The accusation is unfounded and incorrect.