MOVING TO FLORIDA ?

 Here’s what you need to know:

  

Florida Taxes

Major taxes collected in Florida include sales and use tax, intangible tax and corporate income taxes. Information regarding these and additional taxes can be located from the list below. There is no personal income tax in Florida.

• Florida Sales Tax: Florida sales tax rate is 6%.
• Florida State Tax: Florida does not have a state income tax.
• Florida Corporate Income Tax: Corporations that do business and earn income in Florida must file a corporate income tax return (unless they are exempt).
• Florida Property Tax: Florida Property Tax is based on market value as of January 1st that year.

Driver license and Car registration

 If you have an out-of-state license, you may be able to convert it to a Florida driver’s license without having to take a written or road test. Review the requirements for citizens and non-citizens.

 Obtain vehicle insurance from a company licensed to do business in Florida. In other words, visit a Florida insurance agent.

 Take proof of identity (required for all owners), proof of Florida insurance, original out-of-state title, and verification of physical inspection of the motor vehicle’s *vehicle identification number (VIN), completed on a form HSMV 82040, Application for Certificate of Title With/Without Registration, to your local Florida county tax collector’s office.

 When applying for title, ALL owners are required to sign a completed application for title (HSMV 82040). If an owner is unable to sign the form in the presence of a tax collector employee, he/she may sign his/her appropriate portion of the form and give to the co-owner for submission to the agency. Remember: proof of identity is required for all owners. 

  *Vehicle identification number (VIN) verification is required for all USED motor vehicles not currently titled in Florida, including trailers with a weight of 2,000 pounds or more.

 The VIN must be physically inspected by one of the following:

 

• A law enforcement officer from any state.
• A licensed Florida or out of state motor vehicle dealer.

NOTE: If the VIN is verified by an out of state motor vehicle dealer, the verification must be submitted on their letterhead stationery.

 A Florida DMV Compliance Examiner/Inspector, DMV or tax collector employee.

• A notary public commissioned by the state of Florida.
• Provost Marshal (an officer who supervises the military police of a command) or a commissioned officer in active military service, with a rank of 2nd Lieutenant or higher or an LNC, “Legalman, Chief Petty Officer, E-7”.

 If the out-of-state title is currently in the possession of an out-of-state lienholder, the tax collector’s office will assist you in contacting the lienholder to obtain the title. The lien will be recorded on the Florida title when issued and will be mailed to the lienholder. 

 In the state of Florida, a motor vehicle is required by law to be registered within ten days of the owner either becoming employed, placing children in public school, or establishing residency. Registering your motor vehicle goes hand in hand with the titling process. 

 

SUNPASS vs. ePASS

 You can pay tolls with your SunPass Portable and SunPass Mini Sticker Transponder on 600 miles of roads within the state of Florida including:

 •Turnpike Mainline

•Homestead Extension (Miami-Dade)

•Sawgrass Expressway (Broward)

•Alligator Alley (Broward/Collier)

•Seminole Expressway (Orlando)

•Southern Connector Extension (Orlando)

•Suncoast Parkway (Tampa)

•Veterans Expressway (Tampa)

•Selmon Crosstown Expressway (Tampa) (Tampa)

•Polk Parkway (Lakeland)

In Miami-Dade, SunPass works on the following MDX roads:

 •SR 112 – Airport Expressway

•SR 836 – Dolphin Expressway

•SR 874 – Don Shula Expressway

•SR 924 – Gratigny Parkway

 In the Orlando area SunPass works on E-Pass roads.

 SunPass also works on the following bridges:

 •Sunshine Skyway (St. Petersburg)

•Pinellas Bayway (St. Petersburg)

•Mid-Bay Bridge (Niceville)

•Garcon Point Bridge (Milton)

 In the Fort Myers area SunPass works on all three LeeWay bridges:

 •Midpoint Memorial Toll Bridge

•Cape Coral Toll Bridge

•Sanibel Causeway Toll Bridge

 

Florida Minimum Wage Rates

 

Rate is increased annually based upon a cost of living formula.

 

How to Start a Business in Florida

Thinking about starting a business or need information on how to start a business? Here are the steps to forming a new business in Florida!

1. You will need to think up a name for your new company. A good name should be unique, yet tells what kind of business you are doing.
2. Make a choice on what type of company you want to form. Do you want to:
   1. File a DBA (fictitious name) to create a sole proprietorship or partnership?
   2. Incorporate as a corporation or LLC (Limited Liability Company)?
3. Whatever you choose, you need to register your company with the state, county and obtain a bank account for the company. You are required to do these steps even if you have an online business or an at home business. For example, if you are doing booth sales regularly at a flea market or selling beauty products in an at home party setting you will need to take these steps.2) Whatever you choose, you need to register your company with the state, county and obtain a bank account for the company. You are required to do these steps even if you have an online business or an at home business. For example, if you are doing booth sales regularly at a flea market or selling beauty products in an at home party setting you will need to take these steps.

Florida Business License – How to get a business license in Florida

Choosing a DBA Start a Business

1. Register with the State: With a DBA/fictitious name you will be able to register the name with the state to conduct business with this name for the entire state. A lot of very small businesses choose this path, or those who are not sure if the company is going to fly and want to start small and work up to incorporating later.
2. What to Consider: If you choose the DBA as your filing, then name you choose can be used by another company. So the name is not to you alone in Florida. The other thing to consider is that if you file a DBA, there is no limited liability. What this may mean to you is that if someone sued the company, your personal assets would be available in a lawsuit. If this is not a concern then a DBA would be fine.
3. Legal Notice and Business License: Once you have the DBA filed with the state, then you will need to do a Legal Notice in a local newspaper, then obtain a business license with your county. A business license/occupational license or business tax receipt is required by most counties in Florida to have the legal ability to do have a business in that county. Check with your local tax collectors office to see what they require.
4. Select a Name: If you choose to create a Corporation or LLC in Florida the name you choose must be unique. No other company can have the exact same name, so be creative and unique in the naming of your new business.
5. How to Incorporate a Business? The first step to incorporating your business is choosing if you want to have an LLC or a corporation. Your accountant, tax preparer or bookkeeper may the best person to go to help you make this choice. An attorney is also an excellent choice for guidance. The formation of a company is an important decision so having this kind of assistance is very helpful in doing it right the first time.
6. Articles of Incorporation: Once you have chosen the type, you would then file the Articles with the Florida Department of State to legally create the entity. You will need a company name, principal address (which must be a physical Florida address) and a mailing address for the company which can be a PO Box if you would like. You will also need the names and addresses of all the owners in the company as the state requires this information. An email address is also necessary to file with the state.
7. EIN Filing: Your next step would be obtaining an EIN or Federal Employer Identification Number from the IRS. This is a unique tax ID for your new legal entity and needs to be used with any transactions for the company. Some people choose not to obtain an EIN for the LLC if it is a single member. This means they will have to use their Social Security number instead for all business transactions. All corporations have to obtain and use an EIN.
8. Business License: The next step is the business license or occupational license with the county. A business license/occupational license or business tax receipt is required by most counties in Florida to have the legal ability to do have a business in that county. Check with your local tax collectors office to see what they require.
9. Bank Account: The last step would be a bank account for the new company. You are required to have a bank for the LLC or corporation. All monies coming in and going out must go through the company bank account.

Choosing to Incorporate a Business

Once you have all these steps in place, either for a DBA/Fictitious name or if you want in incorporate as an LLC or a corporation then you are ready to begin your business and are legal in the state of Florida.

Florida Incorporation Service offers the following services:

• Online registration of a DBA including information on the exact wording for the Legal Notice and the link to the counties for the business license. Start here.
• Online registration of a new Florida LLC or corporation, including registration of the EIN on as well as the link to the counties for the business license.