When Is Florida Sales Tax Due? Filing Deadlines
Understand Florida sales tax deadlines, filing frequencies, and payment methods to ensure timely compliance and avoid penalties.
Florida sales tax is a consumption tax levied on the sale of certain goods and services within the state. Businesses engaged in taxable activities act as agents for the state, collecting this tax from customers at the point of sale. These collected funds do not belong to the business but are held in trust for remittance to the Florida Department of Revenue (DOR). The general state sales tax rate is 6%, though local discretionary sales surtaxes can increase the total rate paid by consumers, often ranging from 7% to 7.5% depending on the county.
Determining Your Filing Frequency
The Florida Department of Revenue (DOR) assigns each registered business a sales tax filing frequency: monthly, quarterly, or annually. This assignment is based on the amount of sales tax a business collects. Businesses with higher volumes of taxable sales receive more frequent filing requirements.
Businesses collecting a significant amount of sales tax are usually designated as monthly filers. Those collecting moderate amounts might be assigned a quarterly filing frequency. Businesses with very low sales tax collections could be designated as annual filers. Businesses can find their assigned filing frequency on their Florida sales tax registration certificate or by accessing their online account through Florida eServices.
Standard Due Dates
Understanding sales tax due dates is important. For monthly filers, sales tax returns and payments are due on the 20th day of the month following the collection period. For instance, sales tax collected in July would be due by August 20th.
Quarterly filers have due dates aligned with calendar quarters. Sales tax collected during the first quarter (January, February, March) is due by April 20th. The second quarter (April, May, June) is due by July 20th, the third quarter (July, August, September) by October 20th, and the fourth quarter (October, November, December) by January 20th of the following year. Annual filers have a single due date, January 20th of the following year, for all sales tax collected during the previous calendar year. If any due date falls on a weekend or a state holiday, the deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.
Remitting Your Sales Tax
Businesses remit collected sales tax to the Florida Department of Revenue. The primary method for payment is through Florida eServices, the DOR’s online portal. Businesses can log into their eServices account to electronically file their sales tax return and submit payment directly from their bank account.
The eServices platform guides users through the process of entering their sales data and calculating the tax due, ensuring accuracy. For businesses preferring traditional methods, sales tax payments can also be remitted by mail. Mail payments involve completing the appropriate sales tax return form, attaching a check or money order payable to the Florida Department of Revenue, and mailing it to the address specified on the form. Ensure the correct form is used and all necessary information, such as the business’s tax identification number, is included.
Penalties for Late Filing or Payment
Failing to file or pay Florida sales tax by the due dates can result in penalties and interest assessed by the Florida Department of Revenue. A penalty of 10% of the unpaid tax is imposed for each month, or portion of a month, that a return or payment is late. This penalty is capped at a maximum of 50% of the tax due.
In addition to penalties, interest accrues on any unpaid sales tax from the original due date until the date of payment. The interest rate is variable and is set periodically by the Department of Revenue. While circumstances may allow for a penalty waiver, these are granted on a case-by-case basis.