Updated for 2025, the General Sales Tax Rate for the State of Florida is 6%. Each county has the option to add a discretionary sales tax surcharge – which is added to the general Florida sales tax rate. The Central Florida area generally consists of Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake and Polk Counties. All of these counties have included a discretionary sales tax surcharge. Within these five counties you will find 3 different sales tax rates:
Seminole County 7.00%
Orange County 6.50%
Osceola County 7.50%
Lake County 7.00%
Polk County 7.00%
For most of us that .5 % difference in sales tax goes unnoticed for most purchases. Actually when I ask around, very few people are unaware of what sales tax rate they pay for purchases and services. So, I started thinking, would it be worth it to drive to another county to purchase big ticket items? How much would the .5% tax savings in Orange County benefit those in nearby counties?
A TV priced at $500 in Lake County would pay tax of $35.00 ($500 x .07 = $35.00) compared to a TV purchased in Orange County where the tax would be $32.50 ($500 x .065 = $32.50).
So on a large priced item the savings would only be $2.50 – certainly not worth the money to drive to another area.
What is the Florida Hotel Tax Rate?
For hotels, VRBO and Airbnb there is an additional tax that is added to the base rate of 6% and the county determined discretionary sales tax surcharge. This additional tax is a Transient Rental Tax which is also determined by each county. See the updated list of Florida Hotel Tax Rates.
What is Sales Tax on a Car?
When it comes to an item that is delivered or registered to someone, it doesn’t matter which county you purchase the item in, because you will pay the tax rates (general plus discretionary) for the county that the vehicle will be titled in or the item is delivered to. Basically will pay the taxes for the county that you live in. The Florida DMV offers tips on buying a vehicle.
Florida Sales Tax by County
Within the State of Florida, there are several counties that only charge the General Tax Rate. Several counties charge an additional discretionary surtax – anywhere from .5% to 2%. Tax rates in the State of Florida including the date that the tax is to be enforced until are listed below. This list is current as of January 2025:
- Alachua 7.50%
- Baker 7.00%
- Bay 7.00%
- Bradford 7.00%
- Brevard 7.00%
- Broward 7.00%
- Calhoun 7.50%
- Charlotte 7.00%
- Citrus 6.00%
- Clay 7.50%
- Collier 6.00%
- Columbia 7.50%
- De Soto 7.50%
- Dixie 7.00%
- Duval 7.50%
- Escambia 7.50
- Flagler 7.00
- Franklin 7.50%
- Gadsden 7.50%
- Gilchrist 7.00%
- Glades 7.00%
- Gulf 7.00%
- Hamilton 8.00%
- Hardee 7.00%
- Hendry 7.50%
- Hernando 6.50%
- Highlands 7.50%
- Hillsborough 7.50%
- Holmes 7.50%
- Indian River 7.00%
- Jackson 7.50%
- Jefferson 7.00%
- Lafayette 7.00%
- Lake 7.00%
- Lee 6.50%
- Leon 7.50%
- Levy 7.00%
- Liberty 7.50%
- Madison 7.50%
- Manatee 7.00%
- Marion 7.50%
- Martin 7.00%
- Miami-Dade 7.00%
- Monroe 7.50%
- Nassau 7.00%
- Okaloosa 7.00%
- Okeechobee 7.00%
- Orange 6.50%
- Osceola 7.50%
- Palm Beach 7.00%
- Pasco 7.00%
- Pinellas 7.00%
- Polk 7.00%
- Putnam 7.00%
- St. Johns 6.50%
- St. Lucie 7.00%
- Santa Rosa 7.00%
- Sarasota 7.00%
- Seminole 7.00%
- Sumter 7.00%
- Suwannee 7.00
- Taylor 7.00%
- Union 7.00%
- Volusia 6.50%
- Wakulla 7.50%
- Walton 7.00%
- Washington 7.50%
