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Basic Business Taxes

Sales and use taxes:
Sales tax is 6 percent with a county option of 0–1.5 percent.

Florida offers sales and use tax exemptions on:
• • Semiconductor, defense, and space technology-based industry transactions involving manufacturing equipment
• • Purchases of machinery and equipment used by a new or expanding Florida business to manufacture, produce, or process tangible personal property for sale
• • Labor, parts, and materials used in repair of and incorporated into machinery and equipment that qualify for sales tax exemption upon purchase (phased in over four years, 75 percent exempt on July 1, 2001)
• • Electricity and steam used in the manufacturing process
• • Aircraft parts, modification, maintenance and repair, sale or lease of qualified aircraft
• • Commercial space activity — launch vehicles, payloads and fuel, machinery and equipment for production of items used exclusively at Spaceport Florida
• • Labor component of research and development expenditures
• • Any facility, device, fixture, machinery, or equipment required for pollution control, abatement, or monitoring of equipment used in manufacturing processing or compounding items for sale
• • Machinery and equipment used for research and development

Property tax:
Real and tangible property is taxed, unless specifically exempt. Property is generally assessed at fair market value, but agricultural lands are assessed on their value as agricultural land. The tax is levied by cities, counties, school districts, and special districts. There is no state levy on real and tangible property.

Tax incentives:
Qualified Target Industry Tax Refunds: The Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund is a tool available to Florida communities to encourage quality job growth in targeted high value-added businesses.

Pre-approved applicants who create jobs in Florida receive tax refunds of $3,000 per net new full-time equivalent Florida job created; $6,000 in an enterprise zone or rural county. For businesses paying 150 percent of the average annual wage, add $1,000 per job; for businesses paying 200 percent of the average annual salary add $2,000 per job. New or expanding businesses in selected targeted industries, or corporate headquarters, are eligible.

If approved, the applicant may receive refunds on the taxes it pays. This includes corporate income, sales, ad valorem, intangible personal property, insurance premium, communications services, and certain other taxes. There is a cap of $5 million per single qualified applicant in all years, and no more than 25 percent of the total refund approved may be taken in any single fiscal year.

Qualified Defense and Space Contractor Tax Refund (QDSC): Florida is committed to preserving and growing its high technology employment base by giving Florida defense, homeland security, and space business contractors a competitive edge in consolidating contracts or subcontracts, acquiring new contracts, or converting contracts to commercial production. Pre-approved applicants creating or retaining jobs in Florida may receive tax refunds of $3,000 per net new Florida full-time equivalent job created or retained; $6,000 in an Enterprise Zone or rural county. For businesses paying 150 percent of the average annual wage, add $1,000 per job; for businesses paying 200 percent of the average annual salary, add $2,000 per job.

Capital Investment Tax Credit (CITC):
The Capital Investment Tax Credit is used to attract and grow capital-intensive industries in Florida. It is an annual credit, provided for up to 20 years, against the corporate income tax. The amount of the annual credit is based on the eligible capital costs associated with a qualifying project. Eligible capital costs include all expenses incurred in the acquisition, construction, installation, and equipping of a project from the beginning of construction to the commencement of operations.

Eligible projects are those that operate in designated high-impact portions of the clean energy, life sciences, financial services, information technology, transportation equipment manufacturing, and semiconductor sectors, as well as corporate headquarters. The project must create at least 100 jobs and invest at least $25 million in eligible capital costs. The level of investment and the project's Florida corporate income tax liability for the 20 years following commencement of operations determines the amount of the annual credit. Florida's corporate income tax rate is 5.5 percent of apportioned taxable income.

Business inventory:
All business inventories are exempt from property taxation.

Goods in transit:
Goods in transit are exempt from property taxation up to 180 days.

Goods for export:
All goods manufactured or produced in the state for export outside the state are exempt from sales and use taxes.

Industrial fuels and raw materials:
Purchases of raw materials, nonreusable containers or packaging, boiler fuels used in production, and co-generation of electricity are exempt from sales tax.