CPA for Miami and Fort Lauderdale, FL: Remote Tax, Payroll and Accounting

We are a Naperville, Illinois CPA firm, and we serve clients in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding counties remotely; we have no office in Florida. South Florida has an unusual mix of taxpayers: buyers who live abroad, people newly arrived on a visa or green card, and businesses that sell across the Caribbean and Latin America. Their questions differ from those in the rest of the state, so this page concentrates on residency rules, local licensing and cross-border reporting.

Homestead rules for new arrivals

The Miami-Dade Property Appraiser says a homestead exemption of up to $50,000 applies to a primary residence, the first $25,000 against all taxes and the second $25,000 against all but School Board taxes, which it says can be up to 40% of the bill. The exemption amount was $50,722 for 2025 and is adjusted yearly by the Consumer Price Index. To qualify you need title on January 1, permanent residence there on January 1, and proof, such as a Florida driver license, vehicle registration, voter registration, a prior-year IRS return or W-2, bank statements or a recorded declaration of domicile. The owner "must be a U.S. citizen or permanent U.S. resident." The appraiser warns that renting the home can jeopardize the exemption.

Late applications can still be accepted until the deadline on the TRIM notice, usually 25 days after it is mailed, and may need a Value Adjustment Board petition.

Amendment 3 on the November 3, 2026 ballot has a clause that matters here. Its summary says people who are not Florida residents on December 31, 2026 would receive the existing homestead exemption on qualifying, with the larger exemption starting in the fifth year, to the extent the U.S. Constitution permits. It needs 60% approval; see our Florida page for the rest.

Local business tax receipts and tourist taxes

Miami-Dade requires a receipt for each place of business and each separate classification at the same address. A city may require its own receipt as well. The tax year begins October 1; a receipt not renewed by September 30 is delinquent, with a 10% penalty in October, 5% more for each later month, up to 25%. Under section 205.053(3) of the Florida Statutes a further penalty of up to $250 may apply after 150 days. The Tax Collector's page also says applicants must attest that they do not do business with Cuba in violation of federal law. Section 205.0532, as amended in 2026, lets a tax collector ask for a sworn declaration, and a knowingly false one is a third-degree felony.

Tourist taxes differ by place. The Department of Revenue's October 2026 table shows 6% in most of Miami-Dade, 7% in Miami Beach and 4% in Surfside and Bal Harbour, and 6% in Broward, on top of 6% state sales tax and, for 2026, a 1% county surtax in each county.

Foreign owners and cross-border businesses

Selling U.S. property. When a foreign person sells U.S. real property, the IRS says withholding is generally 15% of the amount realized. If the buyer plans to live there, withholding is reduced when the price is between $300,000 and $1 million, and not required at $300,000 or less. Form 8288-B can ask for a certificate that lowers it.

Companies that own property. FinCEN's page says the final rule effective August 14, 2026 exempts U.S. companies from beneficial ownership reports, and that only certain foreign companies registered to do business in the U.S. must still report. Separately, a federal court in Texas vacated FinCEN's residential real estate reporting rule on March 19, 2026; the page says reporting persons need not file while that order stands, and that the government has appealed.

Latin America. The Census Bureau counts 1,385,910 Latin American-born residents in Miami-Dade (50.6%) and 592,691 in Broward (30.0%). Some of them have accounts, property or family businesses abroad, which can create U.S. reporting duties. The IRS list of income tax treaties includes Barbados, Chile, Jamaica, Mexico, Trinidad and Venezuela but not Colombia, Brazil or Argentina, and the IRS notes that residents of a country with no treaty pay U.S. tax on U.S. income at the normal rates. Florida has no personal income tax, so the federal return is usually the main one. See international tax.

The Indian-American community and US-India tax in South Florida

Broward has 36,140 residents who identify as Asian Indian alone or in combination (1.8%), including 4,274 in Pembroke Pines (2.5%) and 3,095 in Plantation (3.2%). Miami-Dade has 14,398 (0.5%). The Consulate General of India in Atlanta covers Florida. Three issues come up often:

• Moving between India and Florida. Residency decides how both countries tax you; see residency rules.
• Businesses in India. A U.S. owner of an Indian company has extra forms; see Indian business ownership.
• Rental or property income in the U.S. for non-U.S. persons. See Form 1040-NR.

How we can help

From Naperville we prepare federal returns for residents, part-year and nonresident filers, set up payroll and bookkeeping, and review IRS and state notices. Work is by secure upload, phone and video. If a homestead dispute, licensing matter or real estate closing needs a Florida attorney or another local professional, we will say so. This is general information, not personal advice.

Frequently asked questions

General information only, not tax, legal or accounting advice for your situation. Rules, limits and deadlines change; confirm the current rules with the official source or a qualified professional before you act. Reading this page does not create a professional relationship with CPA Tax Payroll and Accounting Corp.