Florida LLC taxes start with good news: the state has no personal income tax, so your LLC’s profits aren’t taxed at the state level the way they would be in California or New York. That doesn’t mean you owe nothing. You still owe federal income tax and self-employment tax, and depending on what you sell and whether you hire, Florida sales tax and reemployment tax too.
What Florida LLC taxes do you actually owe?
| Tax | Does it apply to your Florida LLC? |
|---|---|
| State personal income tax | No. Florida doesn’t have one |
| State corporate income tax | 5.5%, only if your LLC is taxed as a C-corp |
| Federal income tax | Yes, pass-through or corporate |
| Self-employment tax | 15.3% on net earnings |
| Sales tax | 6% plus local surtax, if you sell taxable goods or services |
| Reemployment (unemployment) tax | Only if you have employees |
| Property tax | On business property, varies by county |
For most small LLCs, the two numbers that matter are federal income tax and self-employment tax.
How does the IRS tax a Florida LLC by default?
The IRS has no tax category called “LLC.” It taxes yours based on how many members it has.
Single-member LLC. It’s a disregarded entity, taxed like a sole proprietorship. You report profit on Schedule C of your personal Form 1040, with no separate business return. On $100,000 of profit, you pay federal income tax at your marginal rate plus roughly $15,300 in self-employment tax.
Multi-member LLC. It’s taxed as a partnership. The LLC files Form 1065, an informational return, and gives each member a Schedule K-1 showing their share. Each member reports that share on their own 1040 and pays self-employment tax on it. Two members splitting $200,000 of profit 50/50 each report $100,000.
What federal taxes will you pay?
Income tax
These are the 2025 federal brackets for single filers:
| Taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 to $11,600 | 10% |
| $11,601 to $47,150 | 12% |
| $47,151 to $100,525 | 22% |
| $100,526 to $191,950 | 24% |
| $191,951 to $243,725 | 32% |
| $243,726 to $609,350 | 35% |
| $609,351 and up | 37% |
Self-employment tax
This is the one new owners forget to budget for. If you’re active in the business, you pay 12.4% Social Security on the first $168,600 of net earnings in 2025, plus 2.9% Medicare on all of it. That’s 15.3% up to the cap. Earnings over $200,000 single or $250,000 married add another 0.9% Medicare. You can deduct half of your self-employment tax from your income.
Quarterly estimated taxes
Nobody withholds tax from LLC profits. If you expect to owe $1,000 or more for the year, you pay in four installments:
| Period | Due date |
|---|---|
| January to March | April 15 |
| April to May | June 15 |
| June to August | September 15 |
| September to December | January 15 of the next year |
Skip them and the IRS adds underpayment penalties. Setting aside a fixed share of every payment you receive in a separate account keeps the quarterly bill from catching you short.
Should your LLC elect S-corp or C-corp taxation?
The S-corp election
You file Form 2553 with the IRS, pay yourself a reasonable salary, and take the rest as distributions. The salary carries payroll taxes. The distributions don’t carry self-employment tax.
Say your LLC earns $150,000. You take a $70,000 salary and $80,000 in distributions. Payroll taxes on the salary run about $10,700, with no self-employment tax on the $80,000. That’s about $12,240 saved compared with the default.
The trade-off: the IRS scrutinizes whether your salary is really “reasonable,” you’ll need to run payroll, and you’ll file Form 1120-S. The election is generally worth it once profits pass roughly $60,000 to $80,000. Below that, the extra costs eat most of the savings.
Watch the deadline. Form 2553 must be filed by March 15 of the tax year, or within 75 days of formation for a new LLC.
The C-corp election
You file Form 8832, and the LLC pays the flat 21% federal corporate rate plus Florida’s 5.5% corporate income tax. Distributions you take out are taxed again as dividends. That double taxation rarely works for a small business. It’s mainly for companies that plan to reinvest profits, raise venture capital or go public.
Which Florida state taxes can still apply?
Income tax. Florida is one of nine states without a personal income tax, and that covers single-member profits, partnership income and S-corp pass-through income. California charges up to 13.3% and New York up to 10.9%. The 5.5% corporate tax only hits LLCs taxed as C-corps.
Sales and use tax. If you sell tangible goods, rent or lease tangible property, or provide certain taxable services such as commercial cleaning or detective services, you collect sales tax. The state rate is 6%, and counties add 0 to 2.5%, for a total of 6% to 8.5%. Register with the Florida Department of Revenue on Form DR-1 before your first taxable sale, then file returns monthly, quarterly or annually.
Reemployment tax. Once you hire, you register with the Florida Department of Revenue and pay quarterly. For 2025 the rate is 0.1% to 5.4% on the first $7,000 of each employee’s wages, and new employers start at the standard 2.7%.
How can you lower your tax bill legally?
Start with ordinary business deductions: a dedicated home office, business mileage, equipment, your accountant and attorney, marketing, business insurance (including health insurance if you’re self-employed), work-related training, office supplies and software, rent, and business travel, where meals are 50% deductible. Keep receipts. The IRS can disallow anything you can’t document.
Next, the qualified business income (QBI) deduction can cut taxable income by up to 20% for default LLCs and S-corps. Phase-outs apply at higher incomes, and some service businesses face limits. Simplified, $100,000 of profit with a $20,000 QBI deduction leaves $80,000 taxable.
Then retirement contributions:
| Plan | 2025 contribution limit |
|---|---|
| SEP-IRA | Up to 25% of net earnings, max $69,000 |
| Solo 401(k) | Up to $23,000 plus 25% of net earnings, max $69,000 total |
| SIMPLE IRA | Up to $16,000 plus a 3% match |
When are Florida LLC taxes due?
| Date | What’s due |
|---|---|
| January 15 | Q4 estimated tax payment |
| January 31 | W-2s to employees |
| March 15 | S-corp (1120-S) and partnership (1065) returns |
| April 15 | Personal returns (1040) and Q1 estimated payment |
| May 1 | Florida Annual Report |
| June 15 | Q2 estimated tax payment |
| September 15 | Q3 estimated tax payment |
The annual report isn’t a tax, but it falls right after tax season, which is exactly why people forget it.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Florida LLC pay state income tax?
No. Profits pass through to the members, who pay federal income tax plus self-employment tax.
How much tax will my Florida LLC pay?
It depends on profit and structure. Plan for federal income tax at 10% to 37% plus 15.3% self-employment tax on active income.
Should my Florida LLC elect S-corp status?
Possibly, if you earn solid profits and work in the business. It’s generally worth it above $60,000 to $80,000 in profit. Run the numbers with a tax professional first.
Does my Florida LLC need to collect sales tax?
Only if you sell tangible goods or certain taxable services. If you do, register with the Florida Department of Revenue.
Get the basics right from day one
Good habits from the start prevent most tax headaches. Get your EIN right after formation, open a business bank account and keep personal spending out of it, and track every expense from the start. Once the LLC is turning a real profit, sit down with a CPA who knows LLC taxation and ask about the S-corp election before the March 15 deadline, not after.
Questions about LLC formation? Call (352) 557-9713.