The Tax Times: Reminder: Florida Eliminates Sales Tax on Commercial Rent: What Tenants and Landlords Need to Know

Florida’s sales tax rates are slightly above the national average. If the state fully or partially eliminates property tax on primary residences across all income levels, it could result in a cost gross vs net shift, Santis said, and that could come in the form of a higher sales tax or corporate income tax. Both the Florida Policy Institute and the Florida Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research reported in September that 36% of statewide property tax revenue comes from primary residences. Florida’s current homestead exemption is generous, and can reduce a home’s taxable value by as much as $50,000.

Florida Tax Rates, Collections, and Burdens
The Internal Revenue Service announced in December it would be distributing about $2.4 billion − up to $1,400 per individual − worth of payments to eligible U.S. taxpayers who did not claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax returns. Debt to Asset Ratio If you split your time between Florida and a state that has a personal income tax, you’ll need to refer to the other state’s tax laws on how to proceed. Florida doesn’t tax personal income tax, distributions from pensions, 401(k)s, 403(b)s or IRAs, so you don’t have to worry about paying taxes on those. Florida is typically run with a surplus, but we still have hurricanes we cannot control, aging infrastructure requiring billions in upgrades and insurance companies threatening to abandon the state entirely. We cannot cut property taxes at the expense of essential services or disaster preparedness.
Dora PuigBroker and owner of Luxe Living Realty
Certain items, such as groceries and prescription medications, are exempt from sales tax. Additionally, counties in Florida have the authority to add their local sales taxes, which can raise the total sales tax rate to as high as 8.5% in some areas. California’s system is less regressive than others because it relies more heavily on income taxes from the wealthy while offering refundable credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, to lower earners.
State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2025
Property tax in Florida is a county tax that’s based on florida income tax rate the assessed value of your home. Homes are appraised for market value as of Jan. 1 of each year by county appraisers. Further discounts are available to property owners with disabilities, veterans and active-duty military service members, disabled first responders and owners 65 years and older who meet certain qualifications.
The primary focus is on general property taxes paid by home and condo owners on the homes and condos in which they live. „Property taxes historically are a more stable type and predictable type of revenue stream,” said S&P Global Director Jennifer Garza. „It’s a fixed tax rate on the taxable assessed value of the entirety of the property base for that local governmental entity.” There are several limitations on property taxes already in place in Florida.
- Amendment 5, ties the state’s homestead exemption to the annual national inflation rate.
- A „qualified employee” means an individual who has a physical or intellectual impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
- Property taxes are the fuel for local government services, by far the biggest being public safety spending.
- To my recollection, the property tax conversation started when the Champlain Towers South condo tower collapsed, exposing a crisis in aging condominium buildings.
- According to Redfin, the dramatic increase is due to the influx of residents during the pandemic homebuying boom, and partly a result of the increasing intensity of natural disasters.
The Florida tax deadline is now set for May 1 rather than April 15. Tenants will see real savings, and landlords will enjoy simpler billing and compliance. Both should review their leases, update their systems, and communicate with each other as the October 1, 2025, effective date approaches. The Lieutenant Governor says Florida can also save money by bulk-purchasing items like fire trucks and buses and pursuing more public-private partnerships to offset costs. The assessed value of your home, determined by the county property appraiser, is generally lower than the market value.
Florida Property Taxes By County
For high income earners, it means there is a huge incentive to take their talents to South Beach. In Florida, the average effective property tax rate is 0.74%, according to the Tax Foundation. Property taxes are the fuel for local government services, by far the biggest being public safety spending. But a portion of these revenues also finance parks, libraries, cultural and social programs, environmental efforts and a host of policy initiatives that sometimes run afoul of Florida’s Republican-dominated government. It’s actually below the national average despite the state having no income tax. The Florida Policy Institute estimated that ending property taxes for these properties would cost about $18.5 billion, which breaks down to $7.8 billion for counties, $3 billion for cities and $7.7 billion for school districts.
- Millage rates are expressed as dollars assessed for each $1,000 of property value in an area.
- Florida continues to rank among the states with the lowest per-capita tax burdens in the country.
- The deadline to file your taxes for the 2025 tax season is on Tuesday, but Florida residents will get a couple of extra weeks to file.
- If you have a mortgage, your property taxes are generally included in your payments.
Import File Specifications for Taxpayers
Jared Walczak, vice president of state projects at the Tax Foundation, a non-partisan tax policy nonprofit, said Florida could be embarking on fundamental changes to the balance of government. But making cities and counties more reliant on state government comes with a catch, analysts warn. But his attacks have focused primarily on city and county spending on diversity programs, LGBTQ “Pride” events, Planned Parenthood support and other items that appeal to a Republican voting base easily antagonized by cultural flashpoints.

Florida Tax Law: Key Insights on Taxation of Business Partnerships

By their calculations, local governments would lose roughly $406 million within the first five years. The Florida property tax relief measures under HB 7073 represent a meaningful step toward fairness and accountability in property taxation. For many Floridians, the homestead exemption represents one of the most important protections against rising property taxes. Errors in eligibility or recordkeeping could previously lead to sudden, burdensome liabilities — sometimes amounting to thousands of dollars in back taxes and penalties. Florida has introduced new property tax relief measures designed to protect homeowners, increase transparency, and simplify the process of handling property tax disputes. Passed as part of House Bill 7073 (HB 7073), the legislation strengthens homeowner rights and limits penalties in cases where a property’s homestead exemption is later found to be invalid.