Miami's Sales Tax Rate and What It Covers

Miami-Dade County charges a sales tax of 7 percent on most goods and some services. This is made up of a 6 percent state tax plus a 1 percent local tax that goes to the county. When you buy something at a store or online and it ships to a Miami address, you pay this rate at checkout.

The 7 percent applies to clothing, electronics, furniture, groceries (with exceptions), and most other items you pick up or have delivered. Some services — like haircuts, car repairs, and plumbing — are also taxed. A few categories are exempt: prescription medications, most unprepared food from grocery stores, and certain medical equipment do not get taxed.

If you are buying something in another Florida county and bringing it to Miami, you do not owe Miami tax on the purchase. But if you order online from out of state and have it shipped to your Miami address, Florida law requires the seller to collect the 7 percent tax — most major retailers do this automatically.

Key Takeaways

  • Miami-Dade County sales tax is 7 percent: 6 percent state plus 1 percent local.
  • The tax applies to most goods, groceries, and services like repairs and haircuts.
  • Prescription drugs, unprepared food from grocery stores, and some medical equipment are not taxed.
  • Online orders shipped to Miami addresses are subject to the same 7 percent tax.
  • Tax is calculated on the subtotal before it is added to your receipt or invoice.

What Items Are Taxed and What Are Not

Groceries are partially taxed in Florida. Unprepared food — bread, milk, vegetables, meat, canned goods — is not taxed. But prepared foods, snacks, and items from a deli counter are taxed at the full 7 percent. If you buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, you pay tax. If you buy raw chicken to cook at home, you do not.

Clothing and shoes under $110 per item are not taxed in Florida — this is a state exemption. A shirt that costs $50 is tax-free. A pair of shoes for $109 is tax-free. But a designer handbag for $150 is taxed on the full amount because it exceeds the threshold. The exemption applies to the item price, not the total purchase.

Services that are taxed include haircuts, manicures, car repairs, plumbing, electrical work, and pest control. Rental of items — cars, equipment, hotel rooms — is also taxed. Medical services performed by doctors and dentists are not taxed, but over-the-counter health items like vitamins and pain relievers are.

How Sales Tax Is Calculated on Your Receipt

Sales tax is always calculated on the subtotal before discounts are applied in most cases. If an item costs $100 and is on sale for 20 percent off, the tax is calculated on the $80 sale price, not the original $100. The final amount you pay is the discounted price plus 7 percent tax.

When you see a price tag in a Miami store, that price does not include tax. A shirt marked $20 will cost you $21.40 at the register. This is different from some other countries where tax is included in the displayed price. Always budget for the extra 7 percent when you are shopping.

If you are buying multiple items, each taxable item is taxed individually at 7 percent, then all the taxes are added together. A receipt might show five items, with tax calculated on each one separately, but the result is the same as if you calculated 7 percent on the entire subtotal.

Online Shopping and Sales Tax in Miami

When you order from a major online retailer and have it shipped to Miami, the seller collects 7 percent sales tax at checkout. Amazon, Walmart, Target, and most national chains do this automatically. The tax appears as a separate line on your invoice before you complete the purchase.

Small online sellers and marketplaces sometimes do not collect tax, though Florida law requires them to. If you buy from a small vendor and no tax is charged, you may be responsible for reporting and paying the tax yourself — though this is rarely enforced for individual purchases. Larger sellers almost always handle it for you.

If you order something from outside Florida and have it shipped to a Miami address, Florida requires the seller to collect tax. If they do not, the responsibility technically falls on you as the buyer, but in practice this is not pursued for individual transactions. When in doubt, assume the tax will be added at checkout.

Who Collects and Where the Money Goes

Retailers collect sales tax from you at the point of sale — the register, the checkout page, or the invoice. They then send that money to the Florida Department of Revenue on a monthly or quarterly schedule, depending on the size of the business. The retailer does not keep the tax; they are acting as a collector for the government.

The 6 percent state portion goes to Florida's general fund. The 1 percent local portion stays in Miami-Dade County and funds county services. This local tax was approved by voters and has been in place for decades. Different Florida counties have different local tax rates — some are 0.5 percent, others 1.5 percent — so the total rate varies by location.

Sales Tax on Services and Rentals

Services in Miami are taxed if they are considered taxable under Florida law. A haircut is taxed. A massage is taxed. A plumber's labor is taxed. But a doctor's visit is not. The rule is roughly: if it is a personal service business that is not medical or legal in nature, it is taxed.

Rental of tangible goods — cars, equipment, tools, party supplies — is taxed at 7 percent. If you rent a car for a week, you pay 7 percent tax on the rental fee. Hotel rooms are taxed, though hotels also charge a separate county occupancy tax on top of sales tax. Rental of real property — apartments, houses — is not subject to sales tax.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is sales tax the same everywhere in Florida?

No. The state tax is 6 percent everywhere, but each county adds its own local tax. Miami-Dade is 1 percent, so the total is 7 percent. Broward County is 7 percent as well. Hillsborough County is 7.5 percent. If you buy something in a different county and bring it to Miami, you do not owe additional Miami tax.

Do I pay sales tax on groceries?

Unprepared groceries — raw meat, vegetables, bread, milk, canned goods — are not taxed. Prepared foods from a deli, bakery items, and snacks are taxed. If you are unsure whether something counts as prepared, the receipt will show whether tax was charged.

What about clothes and shoes?

Items under $110 are not taxed in Florida. A $50 shirt is tax-free. A $150 jacket is taxed on the full amount. The limit applies per item, not per purchase, so you could buy ten $100 items tax-free.

Do I pay sales tax on online orders from out of state?

If the seller ships to Miami, Florida law requires them to collect 7 percent tax. Most major retailers do this automatically. If a small seller does not collect it, you are technically responsible, but this is rarely enforced for individual purchases.

Is sales tax added before or after a discount?

Tax is calculated on the sale price after the discount is applied. A $100 item on sale for 20 percent off costs $80, and tax is calculated on $80, not $100. The final price is $85.60.