Do you pay Florida sales tax when purchasing real estate?

No. Florida does not charge sales tax on the purchase of real property. But there are taxes at a Florida closing, and for a vacation home specifically there's a much bigger tax issue than anything at the closing table - so it's worth separating the three. At closing. Florida charges documentary stamp tax on the deed, based on the consideration paid. If you finance, there's also documentary stamp tax on the note and an intangible tax on the mortgage. These are set by state statute, and Miami-Dade County is handled differently from the rest of the state, so confirm the current figures with your closing agent or the county rather than relying on any number you read online - they're the kind of thing that changes. Who pays which of these is customary by county but ultimately negotiable in the contract, so ask your agent to address it in the offer rather than assuming. Annually - and this is the one that actually matters for a vacation home. Florida's homestead exemption and the Save Our Homes assessment cap apply to a permanent residence. A vacation home isn't a homestead, so it gets neither. Homestead property has its assessed value limited to a three percent annual increase; non-homestead property is subject to a different and less protective limitation. Practically, that means the tax bill on a second home can climb faster than a neighbor's on an identical homesteaded house, and the bill you see on the current owner's property may look nothing like yours after the county reassesses following your purchase. Ask the county property appraiser's office what your bill would look like as a non-homestead owner before you write an offer. Buyers who skip this step are the ones unpleasantly surprised in year two. If you plan to rent it out. Here's where sales tax genuinely enters the picture, and probably where the question came from: Florida does impose sales tax, plus a county tourist development tax, on short-term rental income. If you'll rent the place out at all, you'd need to register and collect, and that's a conversation with a Florida CPA before you buy, not after. Beyond that, expect the normal closing costs - title insurance, recording fees, survey, inspections - and remember that a second home is underwritten differently by lenders than a primary residence, so talk to a lender early about what that changes. I'm a real estate broker licensed in Alabama, not a Florida attorney or a CPA, and tax rules and rates change. Confirm all of this with a Florida closing agent and your accountant before you rely on it. Dustin Woodley, Camelot Properties, LLC - serving Montgomery, Prattville, Millbrook, Wetumpka, Pike Road, Auburn, Opelika, Lake Martin and the Tri County River Region area.

Direct answer: no. Florida sales tax does not apply to the purchase of real property. Buying a house is not a taxable sale in the sales tax sense, no matter what the price is. What you will pay instead at closing is documentary stamp tax on the deed. Statewide that is 70 cents per $100 of the purchase price, or any part of $100. On a $400,000 house that is $2,800. Miami-Dade works differently, 60 cents per $100 plus a 45 cent surtax, and the surtax does not apply to a document transferring only a single-family dwelling. In most Florida counties the seller customarily pays the deed stamps, but it is negotiable and it does appear on the closing statement, so know which side of it you are on before you sign. Two things nobody in this thread told you, and both matter more to a vacation home buyer than the doc stamps do. First, the one place sales tax can actually show up. If the deal includes furniture or furnishings and they are separately itemized in the contract, that personal property portion can be subject to Florida sales tax. The house is not taxable, the couch may be. On a furnished vacation home purchase this comes up regularly. Ask your closing agent how the contract allocates it before signing rather than being surprised at the table. Second, and this is the real number. Because it is a vacation home rather than your permanent residence, you do not get the homestead exemption and you do not get the Save Our Homes cap that limits annual assessment increases to 3 percent for Florida residents. Your assessment as a non-homestead owner is currently capped at 10 percent per year instead. That is a meaningfully looser leash, and in a rising market it compounds. Your Florida neighbor in an identical house who lives there full time may have a dramatically lower tax bill than yours, purely because of when they claimed homestead and how long the cap has been working for them. Do not budget from the seller's current tax bill. If the seller was homesteaded and you will not be, your assessment resets and your bill can jump substantially the year after you buy. This catches out-of-state buyers constantly. Ask the county property appraiser's office what the taxes would look like without homestead, at your purchase price. They will tell you, and it is free. One thing genuinely worth watching, and it is current. There is a measure headed to Florida voters on November 3, 2026 that would cut the non-homestead assessment cap from 10 percent to 5 percent, effective January 1, 2027 if it passes. It needs 60 percent approval, so it is not law and I am not going to tell you it will happen. But if you are buying a second home in Florida, that is a real variable in your long-term carrying cost and worth following. While you are budgeting, the numbers that will actually decide whether this is affordable are property taxes without homestead, insurance, which in much of Florida is the line that shocks people most, and HOA or condo fees plus any assessment history. Those three dwarf the doc stamps. And if you plan to rent it out at all when you are not there, ask a Florida CPA about the tax and licensing side of short-term rentals before you close. That is a different set of rules and worth knowing in advance rather than after. I am a real estate professional, not a CPA or an attorney, and I am not licensed in Florida, so confirm the closing figures with your Florida closing agent and the tax picture with a Florida CPA. My name is Zoltan Peresztegi and I work in Los Angeles, the South Bay and on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Buying across state lines is its own skill, and the agent matters more than usual when you cannot walk the neighborhood yourself. If you want an introduction to a strong agent in whichever part of Florida you are looking, message me and I will make it at no cost. Zoltan

No, Florida doesn't charge sales tax on real estate purchases. You'll pay other closing costs like doc stamps (a tax on the deed), title insurance, and recording fees, but not sales tax. Doc stamps are based on the purchase price - it's about $0.70 per $100 of the sale price, so on a $500K house that's around $3,500. That's the main tax-like fee you'll see. Whether it's a vacation home or primary residence doesn't change the taxes at closing, but it might affect your property tax rate going forward. Florida gives a homestead exemption for primary residences, which lowers annual property taxes. Vacation homes don't qualify, so you'll pay the full property tax amount every year.

No "sales tax" on purchase of Florida Real Estate. Keith Jean-Pierre Managing Principal The Dapper Agents Operations In: NY, NJ, FL & CA

Florida does not charge sales tax on the purchase price of real estate, so you don’t pay sales tax when you buy a house there, whether it’s a vacation home or a primary residence. Instead, you’ll pay closing costs and ongoing property taxes, but not a “sales tax” on the home itself.

No, you do not pay Florida sales tax when purchasing real estate. In Florida, real estate transactions are not subject to sales tax. However, there are other costs and taxes associated with purchasing real estate that you should be aware of: Doc Stamps on the Deed: When you buy real estate in Florida, you will typically pay documentary stamp tax on the deed. This tax is usually $0.70 per $100 of the purchase price in most counties, though Miami-Dade County has a different rate structure. Intangible Tax on the Mortgage: If you are taking out a mortgage, Florida imposes an intangible tax on the amount of the new mortgage. This tax is $0.002 per dollar of the mortgage amount. Recording Fees: These fees cover the cost of recording the deed and mortgage with the county clerk. The amount varies by county. Property Taxes: As a homeowner, you will be responsible for paying annual property taxes based on the assessed value of your property. These taxes fund local services such as schools, roads, and emergency services. Title Insurance: Title insurance is typically purchased to protect against any potential title defects. This cost is usually borne by the buyer and can vary based on the purchase price. While you won’t pay sales tax on the purchase itself, it’s important to budget for these other associated costs. It’s also advisable to consult with a real estate professional or a closing attorney to understand all the costs involved in your specific transaction.

Where are you buying in Florida? I am in the Englewood/Sarasota area. We do not have sales tax on purchases of homes. We do have Documentary Stamp Tax, Intangible Tax, buyer pays for Owners Title Policy mostly. Plus of course you have your property taxes. Feel free to reach out to me.

Reach out to a Local REALTOR in the area of FL you are looking to purchase and they can specifically answer this question about the process. In SC you pay the taxes based on the purchase price of the home for Property Tax and the seller pays a sales tax, so this question will depend on the type of tax you are specifically asking about..... I have 2 teams in the Florida markets, if I can connect you to a LOCAL REALTOR in the area that you are looking in, they can help guide you through the process in detail. I am happy to make a connection.

I think you need to ask a local realtor who know and understands the state sales tax.