Florida Sales Tax Rate on Commercial Real Property Leases Reduced Again
Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 7123 on May 15, 2019, which reduces the state sales tax rate on commercial real property leases from 5.7 percent to 5.5 percent effective January 1, 2020. Prior legislation reduced the general 6 percent state sales tax rate for commercial real property leases to 5.8 percent for 2018 and to 5.7 percent for 2019. There is no reduction to the local option surtax, which is imposed in 0.5 percent increments by many Florida counties. So, for example, effective January 1, 2020, the applicable rate for commercial real property leases in Sarasota County would be 6.5 percent (5.5 percent level sales tax plus Sarasota County’s 1 percent local option surtax).