Taxes in Fort Myers
Beyond property tax, Fort Myers residents benefit from Florida's lack of a state income tax and a modest local sales tax add-on. Short-term rental owners and vacationers should also budget for Lee County's tourist development tax, and there's no state estate or inheritance tax to plan around.
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Learn moreNo state income tax
Florida is one of a small number of states with no personal income tax, a fact enshrined in the state constitution. This is often the single largest tax-line difference for retirees and remote workers relocating from a state with an income tax, and it applies statewide -- a real, ongoing benefit that partially offsets Fort Myers' housing and insurance costs.
Combined sales tax runs 6.5%
The combined sales tax rate in Fort Myers and Lee County is 6.5% for 2026 -- Florida's 6% state rate plus Lee County's 0.5% discretionary surtax. That discretionary surtax applies only to the first $5,000 of the sales amount on a single item of tangible personal property, per state surtax rules. Lee County's rate runs slightly higher than Naples/Collier County's 6.0% rate (Collier's own surtax expired at the end of 2025), a small but real difference worth knowing.
Tourist Development Tax on short-term rentals
Anyone renting property in Lee County for six months or less -- including owners running a seasonal or vacation rental -- owes a 5% Tourist Development Tax on top of the 6.5% sales tax, under county ordinance dating to 2005. Revenue from the tax is allocated roughly 53.6% to advertising and promotion, 26.4% to beach and shoreline improvement and maintenance, and 20.0% to stadium debt service, per the Lee County Clerk of Court. This applies whether the rental property is in mainland Fort Myers or on the barrier islands.
No state estate or inheritance tax
Florida imposes no state estate tax and no state inheritance tax, which can matter for retirees doing estate planning as part of a relocation decision -- though federal estate tax rules still apply regardless of state of residence.
Key takeaways
- No Florida state personal income tax -- a meaningful, ongoing offset to Fort Myers' housing and insurance costs.
- Combined sales tax in Fort Myers/Lee County is 6.5% for 2026 (6% state + 0.5% county discretionary surtax); the surtax applies only to the first $5,000 of a single item.
- Short-term (six months or less) rentals owe a 5% Tourist Development Tax on top of sales tax, in place since 2005 and applying countywide, including the barrier islands.
- No state estate or inheritance tax, though federal estate tax rules still apply.
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