Florida Sales and Use Taxes: What You Need to Know

Welp, it’s time to talk about taxes—groan. Whether you live in Florida or you’re traveling for a vacation filled with sunny skies, sandy beaches and the world’s best amusement parks, you’ll want to know about the taxes you’ll pay in the Sunshine State—specifically, Florida’s sales and use tax. Let’s dive in.

What Is the Sales Tax in Florida?

The state sales tax in Florida is 6%.¹ Remember that, because you’ll have to pay it whenever you buy most goods and services. Look, even though paying sales tax is a bummer, keep in mind that Florida has no personal income tax and only ranks as the 23rd highest in the country for total sales tax.² Not too shabby.

What Is Exempt From the Sales Tax?

Thankfully, the sales tax doesn’t apply to all purchases. Most groceries, prescription drugs and medical items—like over-the-counter medicines—are exempt from sales tax.³ Which is great because these items are essential for, you know, living. That’s right, your Publix trip is most likely tax-free!

But here’s something to keep in mind: Even though most groceries aren’t taxed, prepared food—like when you dine out at your favorite restaurant—is still taxed at 6%.⁴ This includes take-out or to-go prepared food items as well.

If you’re bummed your burrito bowl’s getting taxed, this might cheer you up: Governor Ron DeSantis signed a few temporary exemptions (aka sales tax holidays) into law this year. We’ll get to those in a minute.

Local Sales Tax

Counties in Florida can add their own local sales tax (also called a discretionary sales surtax) into the mix, bumping the total up a bit. The average local tax rate is 1.01%, which brings the average sales tax in Florida to 7.01%.⁵ The highest combined state and local sales tax is 7.5%.

Sales Tax in Florida

State Sales Tax	Average Local Sales Tax	Average Total Sales Tax
6%	1.01%	7.01%

If you’d like even more detail, here are all the current surtax rates in Florida by county:

Local Sales Tax in Florida by County⁶

County	Local Sales Tax Rate	Total Sales Tax Rate	County	Local Sales Tax Rate	Total Sales Tax Rate
Alachua	1%	7%	Lee	0.5%	6.5%
Baker	1%	7%	Leon	1.5%	7.5%
Bay	1%	7%	Levy	1%	7%
Bradford	1%	7%	Liberty	1.5%	7.5%
Brevard	1%	7%	Madison	1.5%	7.5%
Broward	1%	7%	Manatee	1%	7%
Calhoun	1.5%	7.5%	Marion	1%	7%
Charlotte	1%	7%	Martin	0.5%	6.5%
Citrus	None	6%	Miami-Dade	1%	7%
Clay	1.5%	7.5%	Monroe	1.5%	7.5%
Collier	1%	7%	Nassau	1%	7%
Columbia	1%	7%	Okaloosa	1%	7%
DeSoto	1.5%	7.5%	Okeechobee	1%	7%
Dixie	1%	7%	Orange	0.5%	6.5%
Duval	1.5%	7.5%	Osceola	1.5%	7.5%
Escambia	1.5%	7.5%	Palm Beach	1%	7%
Flagler	1%	7%	Pasco	1%	7%
Franklin	1%	7%	Pinellas	1%	7%
Gadsden	1.5%	7.5%	Polk	1%	7%
Gilchrist	1%	7%	Putnam	1%	7%
Glades	1%	7%	St. Johns	0.5%	6.5%
Gulf	1%	7%	St. Lucie	1%	7%
Hamilton	1%	7%	Santa Rosa	1%	7%
Hardee	1%	7%	Sarasota	1%	7%
Hendry	1%	7%	Seminole	1%	7%
Hernando	0.5%	6.5%	Sumter	1%	7%
Highlands	1.5%	7.5%	Suwannee	1%	7%
Hillsborough	1.5%	7.5%	Taylor	1%	7%
Holmes	1.5%	7.5%	Union	1%	7%
Indian River	1%	7%	Volusia	0.5%	6.5%
Jackson	1.5%	7.5%	Wakulla	1%	7%
Jefferson	1%	7%	Walton	1%	7%
Lafayette	1%	7%	Washington	1.5%	7.5%
Lake	1%	7%

Does Florida Have Sales Tax Holidays?

Florida hosts a bunch of sales tax holidays throughout the year.⁷ Basically, this is a stretch of time when certain items are exempt from sales tax, saving you a few bucks at checkout. Pretty sweet deal, right?

Here are the sale tax holidays happening right now:

• ENERGY STAR appliances: You can snag a new ENERGY STAR appliance without paying sales tax until June 30, 2023. This includes washing machines, clothes dryers and water heaters selling for $1,500 or less and refrigerators selling at $3,000 or less.⁸
• Children’s diapers and clothing: Have a newborn or toddler at home? Well, you’re in luck! You can stock up on diapers and children’s clothing (for ages 5 and younger) for your little ones without getting hit with sales tax until June 30, 2023.⁹
• Home hardening: It’s no secret that Florida gets some crazy weather. All the way through June 30, 2024, impact-resistant doors, windows and garage doors are all exempt from sales tax. So you can save some cash prepping your home for harsh conditions.¹⁰

And these are just a few of the tax holidays this year. Past holidays have included tax exemptions on children’s books, tools, outdoor activities, back-to-school supplies and motor fuel.¹¹ So be sure to keep an ear to the ground so you can take advantage of new or returning holidays as they’re announced.

Excise Taxes in Florida

Florida also has a few excise taxes you’ll want to know about. An excise tax (sometimes called a sin tax) is a tax on specific items. And instead of a percentage, excise taxes are often charged as a flat rate on those goods—things like beer, spirits, wine and gasoline.

Examples of Excise Taxes in Florida¹²

Gasoline	Cell Phone	Beer	Wine	Spirits
$0.04 per gallon	15.03%	$0.48 per gallon	$2.25 per gallon	$6.50 per gallon

What Is the Use Tax in Florida?

In addition to the sales tax, Florida also has a use tax. The use tax matches the sales tax at 6%.¹³

What Is a Use Tax?

Here’s the gist of it: A use tax is owed on taxable items or services when a sales tax wasn’t paid at the time of purchase.

Taxes don’t have to overwhelm you. See what’s best for your situation—and services you can trust.

For example, let’s say you buy a piece of handmade jewelry or custom clothing from an out-of-state seller and have it shipped to you. If the seller doesn’t collect a sales tax, you just saved some money, right? Wrong! You’d owe a use tax to make up for not paying sales tax.

In many cases, big online retailers—think Amazon—usually collect state and local sales tax at the time of purchase. But you’ll still want to keep an eye on your receipts—especially from smaller out-of-state sellers—to avoid skipping out.

What Are Tourism Taxes?

Traveling to Florida for a much-needed getaway? There are some taxes specifically targeting you! Aren’t you a lucky duck? When booking an accommodation—like that colorful on-site Disney hotel, timeshare or an apartment rental (like an Airbnb)—you might notice extra tax charges on your bill.¹⁴

These are often called local option transient rental taxes. This is an umbrella term that includes the tourist development tax, convention development tax, tourist impact tax and municipal resort tax.¹⁵ The point of these is to help support the local economy and tourism industry in each county.

The tax rates change from county to county but usually fall within 2–6%. And remember, you have to pay that on top of state and local sales taxes.

So, if you’re traveling to Florida, especially if your home state doesn’t have sales or tourism taxes, you’ll want to make sure you budget accordingly. Things might be more expensive than they seem!

Talk With a Tax Pro

Does all this tax stuff make your head spin? We hear you. If you live in Florida or if you’re thinking about making the move down, you’ll want to talk with a tax pro. Even though there’s no personal income tax, our RamseyTrusted program of local providers can teach you how the rest of the state’s taxes (like the sales and use taxes) will impact your hard-earned dollars.

Find a RamseyTrusted tax professional who serves your area today!