Florida's state sales tax is 6%, and all but two counties add a surtax on top. For 2026, that puts the combined rate between 6% and 8%, depending on the county where you take delivery.
Enter the price and your combined rate. The calculator adds the tax and shows the total, plus the tax as a share of that total.
Which rate should you enter?
Use the rate of the county where the item is delivered. The Florida Department of Revenue (DOR) lists every county's surtax each year on form DR-15DSS. Here's a $250 purchase at the 2026 rates:
| County (2026) | Combined rate | Tax on $250 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citrus, Collier (no surtax) | 6% | $15.00 | $265.00 |
| Orange, Palm Beach | 6.5% | $16.25 | $266.25 |
| Broward, Miami-Dade, Pinellas | 7% | $17.50 | $267.50 |
| Duval, Hillsborough | 7.5% | $18.75 | $268.75 |
| Hamilton | 8% | $20.00 | $270.00 |
The delivery rule matters when a seller ships to you. An Orange County store delivering to a Broward home charges 7%, not 6.5%.
Palm Beach dropped from 7% to 6.5% on January 1, 2026. Its 1% infrastructure surtax ended and a 0.5% school surtax began. Rates change from year to year, so check the current list before a large purchase.
A few items have their own state rate instead of 6%. The DOR lists new mobile homes at 3%, amusement machine receipts at 4% and electricity at 6.95%.
Big purchases: the county surtax stops at $5,000
The state's 6% applies to the whole price. The county surtax only applies to the first $5,000 of a single item. Here's a $30,000 car for a Miami-Dade resident:
| Part of the bill | Taxed amount | Rate | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| State tax on the full price | $30,000 | 6% | $1,800 |
| Miami-Dade surtax on the first $5,000 | $5,000 | 1% | $50 |
| Mistake: combined rate on the full price | $30,000 | 7% | $2,100 |
The correct tax is $1,800 + $50 = $1,850. Putting the combined 7% on the full price gives $2,100, which is $250 too much. The cap also means no county can add more than $100 to one item in 2026: 2% of $5,000.
For any item over $5,000, run the calculator twice. First enter the full price at 6%, then $5,000 at your county's surtax rate. Add the two tax figures.
The cap covers goods, including their leases and rentals. It doesn't apply to services or hotel stays, which pay the combined rate on the full amount.
Buying a car: your home county decides
For cars and mobile homes, the surtax follows the residence address on the title or registration. Buying from a dealer in a cheaper county doesn't change it. Boats and aircraft work differently: they follow the county of delivery.
Bringing home a car you bought in another state? If you paid less tax there than Florida charges, you owe only the difference. If you paid the same or more, nothing extra is due.
Groceries are exempt, but not everything in the store
The DOR's grocery list splits food into two groups:
- Exempt: general groceries, and medicine dispensed on a prescription.
- Taxable: food prepared for immediate eating, ready-to-eat sandwiches, candy, and ice cream in cones, small cups or pints.
So one supermarket receipt can mix taxed and untaxed lines. If you're checking a receipt, apply the rate only to the taxable items.
Finding the price before tax
If all you have is the total, divide it by 1 plus the rate. A $537.50 receipt in Hillsborough, at 7.5%, came from a $500 purchase:
Knocking 7.5% off the total instead gives $497.19. That's $2.81 short, and the error grows with the amount. Sellers need the exact pre-tax figure for their sales records.
Bought online without paying tax?
The purchase isn't tax-free. When sales tax wasn't paid at the time of purchase, the DOR says you owe use tax instead. The county surtax applies to most transactions subject to use tax, too.
The sales tax calculator does the same sums for any state's rate. The California sales tax calculator covers California's city and county rates.
Sources
- Florida Department of Revenue, DR-15DSS: Discretionary Sales Surtax Information for Calendar Year 2026
- Florida Department of Revenue, GT-800019: Discretionary Sales Surtax (R. 10/25)
- Florida Department of Revenue, Florida Sales and Use Tax
- Florida Department of Revenue, DR-46NT: Nontaxable Medical Items and General Grocery List (R. 11/25)
- Florida Department of Revenue, TIP 26A01-01: Motor Vehicle Sales Tax Rates by State (February 11, 2026)