Taxes in Fort Lauderdale
Florida's no-state-income-tax structure applies fully in Fort Lauderdale, and the combined sales tax rate here is a flat, easy-to-plan 7% -- but as in the rest of South Florida, those advantages should be weighed against unusually high property insurance costs. This page covers state and local tax structure broadly; see property-taxes for the property-tax specifics.
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Learn moreNo State Income Tax
Florida has no state individual income tax, applying to wages, retirement income, and capital gains alike -- a statewide fact, not specific to Fort Lauderdale, but a genuine draw for people relocating from higher-tax states.
Sales Tax
The combined sales tax rate in both Broward County and the City of Fort Lauderdale is 7% as of 2026 -- 6% Florida state sales tax plus 1% Broward County surtax, per Avalara's 2026 rate tables. Fort Lauderdale itself does not levy an additional city sales tax, so the county-wide 7% figure applies uniformly across the city.
Property Taxes
Broward property taxes are covered in full on the property-taxes topic page -- in short, the county cut its FY2026 millage to 5.6658 mills (its first cut since 2018), combined millage within Fort Lauderdale runs roughly 19-21 mills once school and city levies are added, and effective rates are estimated in a roughly 0.85%-2.02% range depending on area and levies.
The Real Tradeoff Is Insurance, Not Just Taxes
For many households, Florida's no-income-tax advantage is at least partly offset by Fort Lauderdale's homeowners and flood insurance costs, which vary widely by source but consistently run well above the national average (see homeowners-insurance) -- and canal-front or Intracoastal properties carry additional flood-insurance cost on top of standard wind coverage. Anyone comparing total cost of living against a state with income tax should model insurance and property tax together, not income tax savings in isolation.
Key takeaways
- Florida has no state income tax, applying to wages, retirement income, and capital gains -- a real and statewide, not Fort Lauderdale-specific, advantage.
- Broward County and Fort Lauderdale's combined sales tax rate is a flat 7% (6% state + 1% county) as of 2026, with no additional city sales tax.
- Property tax specifics live on the property-taxes topic page; combined millage within Fort Lauderdale runs roughly 19-21 mills.
- The no-income-tax advantage is meaningfully offset for many households by Fort Lauderdale's insurance costs, especially for canal-front and waterfront properties carrying both wind and flood coverage -- model both together, not income tax alone.
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