Doing business in Miami: city taxes on top of state filings

The stack

• C-corps pay Florida’s 5.5% over a $50,000 exemption; LLCs and most S-corps pass through.
• The May 1 annual report is the date that actually hurts ($400 late fee).
• Florida’s sales tax on commercial rent ended for rental periods from October 1, 2025.

Local business tax receipts

Businesses operating in the City of Miami need a Miami-Dade County local business tax receipt, issued by the county Tax Collector, and a City of Miami business tax receipt. Both are flat annual amounts by business type rather than taxes on income. Receipts run on a fiscal year from October 1 to September 30 and are renewed online each year.

Tangible personal property return

Businesses with furniture, equipment, and other tangible personal property file Form DR-405 with the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser by April 1. Filing on time secures an exemption of up to $25,000 of assessed value, so a small office with less than that owes nothing, but only if the return is filed.

Commercial rent

Florida was for years the only state to charge sales tax on commercial rent. That tax was repealed for rental periods beginning on or after October 1, 2025, cutting occupancy costs for Miami tenants. Short-term rentals, parking, and self-storage remain taxable under separate rules.

Worked example

A Miami-based marketing LLC with $600,000 of revenue pays no Florida income tax (pass-through), files its $138.75 annual report by May 1, renews its county and city business tax receipts, and files a DR-405 showing $18,000 of equipment to stay under the $25,000 exemption. A C-corp with the same business and $150,000 of profit adds $5,500 of Florida corporate tax.

The state layer underneath

City taxes sit on top of state obligations, never instead of them. For the FL side, see Florida corporate tax, and check whether a hire or customer in Miami creates a filing duty in the nexus checker.