Sales Tax Management
We handle your sales tax from calculation to filing. Rate tracking, on-time submissions, and accurate reporting so you never miss a deadline.
What This Is
Sales tax management covers the full cycle of collecting, tracking, and remitting sales tax to the Florida Department of Revenue. We make sure you’re collecting the right amount based on current rates, recording it properly in your books, and filing accurate returns on time every period.
Florida has a 6% state rate plus county discretionary surtaxes that vary depending on where your business operates. Hillsborough County adds 1.5%. Pinellas adds 1%. Manatee adds 1.5%. If you’re doing business across multiple counties or selling to customers in different jurisdictions, the rates and rules get complicated fast. We keep track of all of it so you don’t have to.
Calculation and Rate Tracking
Calculation and Rate Tracking
We make sure your point of sale or invoicing system reflects the correct sales tax rates for every transaction. When rates change or new surtaxes take effect, we update your setup accordingly. You collect what you’re supposed to collect without overcharging customers or coming up short at filing time.
Filing and Remittance
Filing and Remittance
We prepare and submit your sales tax returns to the state on whatever schedule applies to your business, whether that’s monthly, quarterly, or annually. We reconcile what you collected against what’s owed, handle the filing, and make sure payments go out before the deadline. You also get the collection allowance discount Florida offers for on-time filers.
Why This Matters
Sales tax is one of those obligations that feels simple until it isn’t. You collect a percentage, you send it to the state. But business owners regularly run into problems because they forgot a filing deadline, applied the wrong county rate, or didn’t realize certain products or services were taxable in Florida. Penalties for late filing start at 10% of the amount due and keep growing. And the state does not wait long before sending notices.
The other issue is that sales tax sits in your bank account alongside your regular revenue. It’s easy to accidentally spend it if you’re not tracking it separately. Then the filing deadline arrives and you owe money you’ve already used for payroll or materials. That creates a cash crunch that was entirely avoidable with proper tracking and discipline around those funds.
Missed Deadlines and Penalties
Missed Deadlines and Penalties
Florida’s penalties for late sales tax returns add up quickly. A return that’s even one day late triggers a minimum penalty, and it increases from there. If you’re filing monthly and miss a couple of deadlines in a year, you’ve lost hundreds or thousands of dollars in penalties and forfeited the collection allowance you would have earned by filing on time.
Wrong Rates and Audit Risk
Wrong Rates and Audit Risk
Applying the wrong tax rate might seem like a small error, but it compounds over time. If you’ve been under-collecting for months, that shortfall comes out of your pocket when you file. And if the Department of Revenue audits you and finds consistent errors, the back taxes plus interest plus penalties can be significant. Getting the rates right from the start avoids all of that.
What Changes
Sales tax becomes something that runs in the background instead of something you scramble to figure out every filing period. You know the right amount is being collected on every sale. You know your returns are filed on time. You know exactly how much you owe and when, so there are no surprises when the payment is due.
You also get clean records that tie directly to your bookkeeping. Sales tax collected, sales tax remitted, and the reconciliation between the two are all documented and easy to pull up if you ever need them. If you get a notice from the state or face an audit, we have everything organized and ready to respond.
No More Last-Minute Filing
No More Last-Minute Filing
Every filing period, your return is prepared ahead of the deadline. You review the numbers, we submit the return, and the payment goes out on time. No frantic searches for receipts. No logging into the DOR website at 11pm hoping you can figure out the form. It just gets handled.
Clear Picture of What You Owe
Clear Picture of What You Owe
At any point during the month, you can see how much sales tax you’ve collected and how much will need to be remitted. That clarity helps with cash flow planning. You’re not guessing how much of the money in your account actually belongs to the state. You know the number, and you can plan around it.
Tampa Bay's Small Business CPA Firm
First Step:
A Short Conversation
Tell us about your business and where you need support. We'll walk through your situation, answer your questions, and give you a clear quote.
