Tax Form Preparation

Tourist Development Tax

All tax returns and payments are due the first day of the month and late after the 20th of the month following the collection period, whether your filing frequency is monthly,  quarterly, or seasonal. If the 20th falls on a weekend or county holiday, returns will be considered timely if they are postmarked on the first business day after the 20th. Returns must be filed regardless of whether rentals were made or tax is due. If you have a seasonal account you are only required to mail in tax returns for the months designated as your season. Any requests for changes to an existing account must be made in writing to our office.

If you want us to talk with your accountant, attorney, bookkeeper, or other representative, you will need to submit a signed Power of Attorney Form appointing that individual before we could discuss your Tourist Development Account with them. (Requires Adobe® Acrobat™ Reader to view.)

Basic Steps In Completing The Tax Return

Line one (1), Gross Rental Receipts: enter the short-term gross rental receipts including the exempt rentals; DO NOT INCLUDE TAX OR LONG TERM RENTALS ON LINE ONE (1). If you have zero rentals, a tax return is still required to be filed on time to avoid a penalty.

Line two (2), Exempt Rental Receipts: enter the total amount of tax-exempt short-term rentals included on line one (1). If no exemptions, enter zero on line two (2). Valid exemptions are those rentals covered by the State of Florida Certificate of Exemption and/or Federal Certificate of Exemption. Other states certificates of exemption are not considered valid exemptions and would be subject to the tax. Additional information on exemptions can be found under “Rules and Regulations Referencing Exempt Rentals”.

Line three (3), Taxable Rental Receipts: take the total gross rentals receipts minus the exempt rentals and enter this figure as the net-taxable rentals.

Line four (4), Total Tax: enter the total amount of Tourist Development Taxes collected. Effective December 1, 2005 the Tourist Development Tax increased to 5% from 4%.

Line five (5), Less – Collection Allowance: Compensation is given to taxpayers for properly accounting, reporting, and remitting the tax return and payment on time.

If your tax return will be mailed on time, enter 2.5% (.025) of the first $1,200.00 of Tourist Development Taxes collected on line six (6), up to a maximum collection allowance of $30.00.

If you have less than $1,200.00 in tax due, your collection allowance will be less than $30.00.

If your tax return is late, enter zero for the collection allowance.

If your tax return is timely filed, skip line six (6) and line seven (7).

If the tax return is late, (postmarked after the 20th  day of the month following the month in which the taxes were collected) proceed to line six (6). For example, the January tax return was postmarked by February 20th  would be considered timely filed, however if the return were postmarked after February 20th  it would be considered late.

Line six (6), Plus Penalty: If your tax return is late, enter 10% of the amount of tax due from line four (4) or $50.00 whichever is greater.

Line seven (7), Plus Interest: If your tax return is late, interest is owed on the tax due on line four (4).

Florida law provides a floating interest rate for late tax returns due on or after January 1, 2000. The interest rate is updated on January 1st  and July 1st  of each year.

The interest rate for tax returns due on or before December 31, 1999 is 12% per annum.

There is no limit on the amount of interest that may accumulate on unpaid taxes. See "Interest Rates" or call 727-464.-777 and ask for the Tourist Development Tax Department for the current rate of interest.

Line eight (8), Total Amount Due: if the tax return is timely filed, take line four (4) minus line five (5) and enter that amount on line eight (8).  If the tax return is late, take line four (4) plus line six (6) and line seven (7) and enter that amount on line eight (8)..

Line A, Taxable Units Rented: enter the number of units rented/nights sold for this collection period. 

For example: Line B, Tax Exempt Units Rented: enter the number of units rented/nights sold that were exempt from the tax. Follow the example above for those units rented as tax-exempt. return.

Assuming that you have a total of 10 units (rooms) available for rent on any of the thirty-one days in January of 2004:

 

(a.)   If you had 100% occupancy that month (all 10 rooms rented every day), then you would report 310 "room nights” or “units” rented that month (10 rooms X 31 Days = 310 room nights or units). 

(b.)   However, if you only had 50% occupancy that month, (i.e.: the rooms you had for rent were only rented half of the time available), then you would report 155 room nights or units) for that month (5 of the 10 available rooms X 31 Days = 155 room nights or units).


 

Signature: the owner or their representative MUST SIGN the completed tax return.


Tax payments: taxes must be paid in U.S. funds only.

Make checks payable to Diane Nelson, Tax Collector.

Please do not send cash in the mail.

If you have any questions, please call 727-464-7777.

Mail payments to:

Diane Nelson, CFC
Pinellas County Tax Collector
P.O. Box 2943
Clearwater, FL 33757-2943