CPA for Tampa Bay, FL Clients: Remote Tax, Payroll and Accounting

We are a Naperville, Illinois CPA firm, and we serve clients in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and the surrounding counties remotely. We have no office in Florida. Florida looks simple from a distance, because the state has no personal income tax. Up close, Tampa Bay owners face a property tax calendar with hard dates, and this year Florida voters will also decide on a constitutional amendment that would change the homestead exemption.

What no state income tax changes, and what it does not

Article VII, section 5 of the Florida Constitution says no tax on the income of natural persons who are residents or citizens may be levied by the state beyond amounts creditable or deductible against federal and other state income taxes. In practice, a Tampa resident files a federal return and no Florida personal return. Three things still deserve attention.

First, the federal deduction for state and local taxes. For 2025 the limit is $40,000 ($20,000 if married filing separately), reduced when modified adjusted gross income passes $500,000 ($250,000 if married filing separately), and never below $10,000 ($5,000 if married filing separately). Florida owners have real estate tax and no income tax to add to it, so check which items actually reach the cap before you plan around it. See our guide to the SALT deduction and property taxes.

Second, proof of residence. If you left a state with an income tax, that state may still ask whether you really moved. Florida's own homestead law lists evidence a property appraiser may weigh: a Florida driver license with the old one given up, voter registration, the address on your federal return, where bank statements go, and utility payments at the home. Similar documents often come up when a former state asks. We prepare part-year returns for people who came from Illinois; see our Illinois page.

Third, work done in another state can still be taxed there. Multi-state tax planning covers that.

Local taxes and filing in Hillsborough and Pinellas

The TRIM notice. Each year the property appraiser mails a Truth in Millage (TRIM) notice showing your proposed value, exemptions and proposed taxes. Hillsborough's 2026 guide stresses that it is not a tax bill, and that the Hillsborough County Tax Collector mails bills in November. Its three paths are an informal conference with the appraiser, a petition to the Value Adjustment Board, where independent special magistrates hear the case, and a circuit court complaint. The board has no say over millage rates. Florida Statutes 194.011 sets the petition deadline for value disputes at the 25th day after the notice is mailed, and 30 days for denied exemptions. Hillsborough's clerk says a late petition needs "good cause," and in 2025 online filing closed on September 12.

Homestead. Florida's Department of Revenue says you apply on Form DR-501 by March 1 with the county property appraiser. The first $25,000 of assessed value is exempt from all taxes. A second, inflation-adjusted amount of up to $25,000 applies to value over $50,000 and only to non-school taxes. Renting the home ends eligibility. Save Our Homes caps the yearly rise in a homestead's assessed value at the lesser of 3% or the change in the Consumer Price Index.

Amendment 3. The measure's ballot title is "Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments." If 60% of voters approve, it takes effect January 1, 2027. The House staff analysis puts the new non-school exemption at the first $150,000 of assessed value in 2027 and $250,000 from 2028, indexed to inflation from 2029. School taxes are not covered. Nothing changes for 2026 bills, and we do not know the vote's outcome as of this page's date.

Paying the bill. State law gives a 4% discount for payment in November, 3% in December, 2% in January and 1% in February, and taxes become delinquent on April 1.

Sales surtax. On top of the 6% state sales tax, the Department's 2026 table shows a 1.5% county surtax in Hillsborough and 1% in Pinellas.

Businesses and employers

New employers register with the Department of Revenue by the end of the month after the calendar quarter in which they become an employer. Reemployment tax applies to the first $7,000 of each employee's wages in a calendar year, and the initial rate for new employers is 2.7%. Quarterly Form RT-6 is due April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31, even for a quarter with no wages, and rate notices (Form RT-20) are mailed in mid-December.

The corporate income tax rate is 5.5%. It reaches corporations and any LLC taxed as one. For a calendar-year filer, Form F-1120 is due May 1, and Form F-7004 extends the filing date but not payment. A late return carries a penalty of 10% of the unpaid tax for each month, capped at 50%, or $50 a month up to $300 if no tax is due. Our payroll services and unemployment insurance guide cover the registrations.

The Indian-American community and US-India tax in Tampa Bay

The American Community Survey for 2020 to 2024 counts 32,584 Asian Indian residents in Hillsborough County, 7,101 in Pinellas, and 8,305 in the city of Tampa (2.1%). Florida is in the consular jurisdiction of the Consulate General of India in Atlanta, which lists visa, passport, OCI and miscellaneous services. Four issues come up often:

• Family gifts from India. A U.S. person must report gifts from a nonresident alien on Form 3520 if the year's total exceeds $100,000, listing each gift over $5,000. The penalty is 5% of the gift's value for each month it goes unreported, up to 25%. See gifts and inheritance from India.
• Retirees and parents. With no Florida income tax, India-source income matters federally; see the foreign tax credit and treaty pages.
• Rental income from India property. See rental income from India.
• Spouses without an SSN. See ITIN for spouses and dependents.

How we can help

From Naperville we prepare federal returns for Florida residents, part-year returns for people arriving from other states, corporate and reemployment tax filings, payroll and bookkeeping, and IRS and state notices. We work by secure upload, phone and video. If a petition hearing or any other matter requires a Florida license or a 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.