Taxes in Orlando
Florida has no state personal income tax -- a statewide fact, not Orlando-specific -- and Orange County's combined sales tax rate is 6.5% (6% state plus a 0.5% county surtax), notably lower than several neighboring Florida counties, including Hillsborough County (Tampa) at 7.5%. Beyond income and sales tax, property tax (covered on its own topic page) is where most of an Orlando household's real state-and-local tax burden actually lands.
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Learn moreNo State Income Tax (Briefly Restated)
Florida is one of a small number of U.S. states with no state personal income tax, a structural fact that applies statewide and is not Orlando-specific -- see the Florida state page for full context. It matters directly when comparing take-home pay for a job offer in Orlando against one in a state that does levy income tax.
Orange County's Sales Tax Rate -- Lower Than Some Neighbors
The combined sales tax rate in Orange County is 6.5% as of 2026, per multiple rate aggregators (Avalara, SalesTaxHandbook) reviewed August 2026: Florida's base 6% state rate plus a 0.5% county discretionary surtax. That single 0.5% surtax is dedicated to Orange County Public Schools' capital construction program, funded through a voter referendum -- and worth roughly $350 million a year to the district's building program, per school-board documentation reviewed this session. This 6.5% combined rate is lower than several neighboring Florida counties that levy multiple stacked surtaxes (for comparison, Hillsborough County's combined rate is 7.5%) -- confirm the current rate for any specific purchase against the Florida Department of Revenue, since local surtaxes are subject to renewal, expiration, or legal challenge over time.
Property Taxes (Summary -- See Full Topic Page)
Property taxes are the other major state-and-local tax an Orlando homeowner pays, and they vary meaningfully by municipality (City of Orlando vs. unincorporated Orange County) and by whether the property carries a homestead exemption and Save Our Homes protection. See the property-taxes topic page for millage rates, exemption mechanics, and how Save Our Homes affects long-term owners differently than new buyers.
Other Local Taxes and Fees
Florida imposes a documentary stamp tax on real estate transactions (commonly cited at $0.70 per $100 of consideration on deeds in most Florida counties, with Miami-Dade a documented exception at a different rate) -- a real closing cost, typically paid by the seller by local custom, though negotiable by contract. A specific, independently confirmed Orange County figure for local tourist-development tax rates that apply to hotel stays and short-term rentals (relevant given the metro's tourism concentration -- see the jobs-economy topic page) was not independently sourced this pass; anyone operating a short-term rental near Orlando's theme-park corridor should confirm current obligations directly with the Orange County Comptroller/Tax Collector.
Key takeaways
- No Florida state income tax -- applies statewide, but the single biggest driver of overall tax competitiveness relative to income-tax states.
- Orange County's combined sales tax rate is 6.5% (6% state + a single 0.5% county surtax dedicated to school construction), lower than several neighboring counties (e.g., Hillsborough at 7.5%).
- Property taxes are the other major local tax exposure -- see the property-taxes topic page for millage rates and homestead/Save Our Homes mechanics.
- Florida's documentary stamp tax on real estate deeds is commonly cited at $0.70 per $100 of consideration; confirm at closing since this is a real transaction cost.
- Short-term rental operators should confirm current local tourist-development tax obligations directly with Orange County -- not independently sourced this pass.
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