Before you start

An SSN or ITIN
Form W-4 with your employer for federal withholding
Records of foreign income and foreign financial accounts
For homeowners, the county property appraiser's homestead application in the first year

Step-by-step

1
Complete the federal W-4 on day one — and that is the only income tax form
There is no Florida state withholding certificate because there is no state income tax, and no municipal one either. Newcomers from a local-tax state routinely look for the second form; there is not one.
Via employerWho: YouFirst week of employment
2
Determine your US tax residency
The substantial presence test counts weighted days across three years to decide whether the US taxes your worldwide income or only US-source income. Your visa category does not decide this.
OnlineWho: You
3
Check for an applicable tax treaty
The US has treaties with around 70 countries that can reduce or exempt tax on particular income. With no state income tax in Florida, a federal treaty position is the whole story here rather than only half of it.
OnlineWho: You
4
Budget the sales tax at 7%
Florida charges 6% state sales tax and Broward County adds a 1% discretionary surtax, for 7%. The county surtax applies only to the first $5,000 of a single item of tangible personal property, which matters on a car or a sofa. Rates are published annually in the Department of Revenue's form DR-15DSS.
OnlineWho: You
5
If you buy, apply for the homestead exemption in the first year
The homestead exemption reduces the taxable value of a permanent residence and, more consequentially, activates the Save Our Homes cap limiting the annual increase in assessed value to 3% or the change in the consumer price index, whichever is lower. It has to be applied for with the Broward County Property Appraiser by the statutory deadline — it does not come with the deed.
OnlineWho: You
6
Use portability if you move within Florida
Once you have a homestead, the difference between market value and the capped assessed value is an accrued benefit you can transfer to your next Florida home, up to a statutory ceiling and within a limited number of tax years. It is a separate application filed alongside the new homestead one, and forgetting it is expensive.
OnlineWho: You
7
Treat insurance as a line in the tax calculation
It is not a tax, but on a coastal Broward property windstorm and flood premiums can approach or exceed the property tax bill, and a lender will escrow both together. Anyone comparing a Florida offer to a state with income tax should put the insurance number in the comparison, because it is frequently what closes the gap.
OnlineWho: You
8
File an FBAR if foreign accounts exceed $10,000
Aggregate foreign account balances over $10,000 at any point in the year trigger a FinCEN filing, separate from your tax return and with its own penalties.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Form W-2 from each employer, issued by 31 January
Form 1099s for freelance, interest and investment income
Passport and travel history for the substantial presence day count
Proof of permanent residence for the homestead application
Foreign account statements for FBAR reporting

Things most newcomers don’t know

No income tax means no local income tax either, which is the bigger difference.

Several US cities in this app add a municipal wage tax on top of the state one — Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York, Louisville and Detroit all do. Florida has neither layer anywhere in the state. When comparing offers, that second layer is the one people forget to subtract.

Source: Florida Department of Revenue

Save Our Homes is worth more than the exemption itself.

The exemption knocks a fixed amount off taxable value; the 3%-or-CPI assessment cap compounds every year you stay. After a decade in a rising market the cap is usually the far larger benefit — and it is why a long-term neighbour's tax bill can be a fraction of a new buyer's on an identical house.

Source: Florida Statutes s.193.155

Portability is a separate application, and people forget it.

Moving within Florida lets you carry the accrued Save Our Homes differential to the new home, subject to a statutory cap and a time limit. It is not automatic and it is not part of the homestead form. Missing it resets a decade of accrued benefit to zero.

Source: Florida Department of Revenue

Insurance is the levy Florida actually charges.

The state takes no income tax, and the money reappears as property insurance in the coastal counties. The market has improved — the regulator approved a rate decrease for Citizens for 2026, its policy count has fallen sharply as private insurers took business back, and new carriers have entered — but the base is high and the variation by address is enormous. Quote before you commit.

Source: Citizens Property Insurance Corporation

Your visa does not determine your tax residency.

The substantial presence test — a weighted day count across three years — decides whether the US taxes your worldwide income. Someone on a temporary visa can be a US tax resident; someone on a long visa can fail the test. Do the count rather than assuming.

Source: IRS — substantial presence test

Common mistakes to avoid

Comparing a Florida salary to a high-tax state's without putting property insurance in the comparison.
Assuming the homestead exemption is automatic — it is applied for, with a first-year deadline.
Moving within Florida and failing to file for portability of the Save Our Homes benefit.
Budgeting from a seller's current tax bill, which reflects their capped assessment and not yours.
Overlooking Broward's 1% discretionary sales surtax on top of the state's 6%.
Missing the FBAR because a home-country account did not feel 'foreign'.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.

Make it your personal checklist

Globe Quest turns this into a tracked, AI-personalized plan for Fort Lauderdale — timed to your move date, with reminders so nothing slips. Free to start.