Moving to Florida From Another State: The Tax Checklist

This page is general information about Florida and federal tax rules for people moving to Lakewood Ranch, Florida (Manatee and Sarasota counties). It is not tax advice for your situation. Talk to a CPA or tax attorney before you make decisions based on it.

What taxes do you stop paying when you move to Florida?

Florida has no state personal income tax and no estate tax, so once you are a Florida resident, the state does not tax your wages, pension, IRA withdrawals or investment income. Florida is one of eight states with no individual income tax, according to the Tax Foundation’s 2026 table. The Florida Department of Revenue says Florida’s estate tax was eliminated for deaths after December 31, 2004.

What still applies:

• Federal income tax. Nothing about the move changes your federal return, other than your address.
• Your old state’s tax on income earned while you lived there, and possibly on income still sourced there.
• Property tax on your Lakewood Ranch home, plus any CDD assessment on the same bill.
• Sales tax of 7% in both Manatee and Sarasota counties (Florida’s 6% plus a 1% county surtax).

What is the checklist, step by step?

Work through these steps in your first few months, and keep copies of everything. Each one is also evidence that you changed your domicile.

Step	When	Where
Get a Florida driver license or ID	Within 30 days of establishing residency	Your county tax collector or another Florida driver license office
Register and title your vehicles in Florida (Florida insurance first)	Within 10 days of establishing residency	Manatee or Sarasota County Tax Collector
Register to vote in your new county	Any time; cancel your old registration	Manatee or Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections
File a declaration of domicile (optional)	Any time	Clerk of the Circuit Court in your county
Apply for the homestead exemption	Own and occupy by January 1; apply by March 1	Manatee County or Sarasota County Property Appraiser
File a part-year return in your old state	By that state’s deadline for the year you move	Your old state’s tax agency
Update your address with the IRS, banks, brokers and retirement plans	Right after the move	Each institution

How do you prove you are now a Florida resident?

There is no single “residency” form; you prove domicile with a pattern of actions that show Florida is your permanent home. Domicile is the place you intend to live permanently and return to after you travel. States look at where you live, work, vote, bank, see doctors, keep your belongings and spend your time.

The strongest evidence:

• Florida driver license and vehicle registrations, with the old state’s license surrendered.
• Voter registration in Manatee or Sarasota County.
• A homestead exemption on your Lakewood Ranch home. The property appraisers ask for your Florida license, vehicle registration and voter registration when you apply.
• A declaration of domicile. Florida law lets you file a sworn statement with the clerk of the circuit court saying that you live in that county and intend to keep it as your permanent home. It does not create residency on its own, but it is a dated, public record of your intent.
• Your day count. Keep a calendar or phone location log of where you spend each day, especially if you keep a home up north.

Will your old state still tax you?

Usually for the year you move, and possibly after that if you keep ties there. Most states with an income tax require a part-year resident return for the year you leave. New York, for example, uses Form IT-203 and taxes the part of your income from your time as a resident, plus New York-source income after you leave.

States can also argue that you never left. New York can treat you as a resident for a full year if your domicile is still New York, or if you maintain a permanent place of abode there for substantially all of the year and spend 184 days or more in the state. Other states have their own tests. People who keep a home in their old state, earn high incomes, or sell a business around the time of a move draw the most attention.

Ways to reduce the risk:

1. Make your Florida home your clear primary home, with your important belongings and records here.
2. Keep a day-count log and supporting records (travel receipts, phone records).
3. Move your doctors, accountant, bank, safe deposit box and memberships where practical.
4. If you keep the old house, document that it is now a second home.
5. Talk to a CPA before the move if you have stock options, a business sale or large capital gains coming.

What about selling the house you are leaving?

Federal tax may apply to the gain, but you can exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 on a joint return, if you owned and used the home as your residence for at least 24 months of the 5 years before the sale. Your old state may also tax the gain, because the property is located there. Timing the sale relative to your move can matter, so get advice before you list.

How does property tax work after you buy here?

You pay property tax to the county each November, and a homestead exemption lowers it once you qualify. Florida’s homestead exemption takes $25,000 off your home’s assessed value for all taxes, and an additional amount off the value between $50,000 and $75,000 for non-school taxes. That additional amount is adjusted for inflation: $26,411 for 2026, according to the Florida Department of Revenue.

To qualify for a given year, you must own the home and make it your permanent residence by January 1, then apply by March 1. If you close in, say, June 2026, your first homestead year is 2027 and you apply by March 1, 2027. Homestead also triggers the Save Our Homes cap, which limits how much your assessed value can rise each year.

A proposed constitutional amendment (Amendment 3, CS/HJR 1-F) on the November 3, 2026, ballot would raise the homestead exemption for non-school levies starting in 2027, if at least 60% of voters approve it. Our homestead exemption guide covers the steps for both counties and the amendment.

Tax	In Lakewood Ranch	Notes
State personal income tax	None	Federal income tax still applies
Estate tax	None (state)	Federal estate tax can apply to large estates
Sales tax	7%	6% state plus 1% county surtax (Manatee and Sarasota)
Property tax	Set by county and local districts	About 14.16 mills in the East Manatee Fire Rescue district for 2025
CDD assessment	Varies by neighborhood	Billed with property tax; see our CDD fees guide

When should you hire a CPA for the move?

Hire one before the move if your situation goes beyond W-2 wages and a simple home sale. Common triggers:

• You are retiring and drawing pensions, IRA or 401(k) money in the year you move.
• You are selling a business, exercising stock options or realizing large capital gains.
• You will keep a home, rental property or business in your old state.
• You are moving partway through the year and want to time income around the move.
• Your old state is known for residency audits.

Our guide to whether you need a CPA after moving to Florida breaks this down by situation, and retirees should also read the tax checklist for Lakewood Ranch retirees. For everything else about the move, start with our complete guide to moving to Lakewood Ranch.