Three taxes on a short-term rental, and the platform only handles some of them

Renting a Florida property for short stays is a taxable transient accommodation, and there are layers. State sales tax applies to the rental charge. The county's discretionary surtax applies on top, at the rate for where the property is. And most counties levy a tourist development tax — the bed tax — which in some counties is collected by the state and in others by the county itself, with its own registration and its own return. Platforms collect and remit some of this in some places. What they do not do is make the obligation go away. Where a platform remits only part, or only to one authority, the owner is still responsible for the rest, and for filing. Owners who assume the platform "handles taxes" find out during an audit, with interest. Two details that cause underpayment. The taxable amount generally includes cleaning fees and other mandatory charges, not just the nightly rate — an owner who taxes the nightly rate alone is short every booking. And direct bookings, taken outside any platform, are entirely the owner's to collect and remit. Registration comes first: a sales tax certificate with the Department of Revenue and, where applicable, a tourist development tax account with the county. Long stays are treated differently — a rental beyond a certain duration is generally not transient — which is why the length of stay shows up in the tax analysis as well as the zoning one. Keep the platform's remittance reports. They are the evidence of what was already paid. This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change and every deal is different — check your own case with a licensed professional. Alberto Zaltzberg — Adonait · adonait.com