Credit card processing and merchant services in Jacksonville, FL
Jacksonville had more than a million residents in the Census Bureau's 2025 estimate, and Duval County stacks three half-cent surtaxes on Florida's 6%. Deliveries and hotel stays each need their own tax setup.
Jacksonville had 1,017,689 residents in the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate, which makes it the 11th largest city in the country, and it added 8,319 people in a year. Its sales tax has three local pieces. Duval County's combined rate is 7.5%: the state's 6%, a 0.5% transportation surtax collected since 1989, a 0.5% infrastructure surtax that runs through 2030, and a 0.5% school capital outlay surtax added in 2021.
That county layer follows the delivery address, which matters for any Jacksonville business with a truck. Bring a sofa to a customer in Nassau County and Florida's rule is to charge Nassau's rate, which the Department of Revenue lists at 7%. Big-ticket sales have one more wrinkle: for certain transactions only the first $5,000 is subject to surtax. If that limit covers your item, a $9,000 sale in Duval carries $540 in state tax and $75 in surtax, $615 in all, not the $675 you'd get from 7.5% of the full price.
Hotels and short-term rentals pay more. Duval's lodging rate is 13.5%, because the county adds a 4% tourist development tax and a 2% convention development tax, and it has administered both locally since December 1990. You pay those two to the county rather than through your state return.
On card fees, Florida's Attorney General says the old statutory ban was held unconstitutional, so a disclosed credit card surcharge is an option within the network caps. Look at your pricing before you decide. Clearo uses interchange-plus, and a free statement review shows what each card type really costs you.
Rules that matter in Jacksonville
County surtax on deliveries
Florida applies the surtax of the county where a taxable item or service is delivered, so a Jacksonville business delivering into another county charges that county's surtax instead of Duval's 1.5%. The Department of Revenue lists Nassau County's combined rate at 7%, for example.
On certain transactions, a Jacksonville seller charges surtax on only the first $5,000 of the sale.
Sources: Florida Department of Revenue, Florida sales and use tax; Florida Department of Revenue, History of local sales tax and current rates (updated February 1, 2026, PDF)
Tourist development and convention development taxes
Duval County adds a 4% tourist development tax and a 2% convention development tax to short-term lodging, for 13.5% in total with the state tax and surtax. The county has administered both taxes locally since December 1, 1990, and the Department of Revenue tells businesses to contact the county taxing authority about collecting and paying locally administered taxes.
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Common questions
What is the sales tax rate in Jacksonville?
7.5% on most taxable sales: Florida's 6% plus Duval County's 1.5% surtax. The county's share is three half-cent surtaxes, for transportation (since 1989), infrastructure (through 2030) and school capital outlay (2021 through 2035). Short-term lodging carries 13.5%.
Do I charge Duval's rate when I deliver outside the county?
No. Florida applies the surtax of the county where the item is delivered. Deliver into Nassau County and you charge its 7% combined rate; deliver within Duval and you charge 7.5%. Your POS or online checkout needs the delivery address to get this right, and the Department of Revenue's address lookup confirms the county for any Florida address.
Can a Jacksonville business add a credit card surcharge?
Yes. Florida's Attorney General says the state's surcharge ban was held unconstitutional and that merchants may add a surcharge to credit card purchases with proper disclosure. Keep it within Visa's 3% and Mastercard's 4% caps, or your actual cost if lower, and don't apply it to debit or prepaid cards.
Does the $5,000 surtax limit apply to my sales?
It applies to certain transactions, and on those only the first $5,000 is subject to Duval's 1.5% surtax. On a qualifying $9,000 item that's $75 of surtax instead of $135. Ask your accountant which of your products qualify, then set your POS to cap the surtax on them.
Who handles hotel taxes in Jacksonville?
Duval County. It has administered the 4% tourist development tax and the 2% convention development tax locally since 1990, so hotels and short-term rentals deal with the county for those, on top of the state sales tax and surtax that go to the Department of Revenue.
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Disclaimer: general information, not professional advice
This page is general educational information, not legal, tax, accounting or financial advice. Rules and rates vary by place and change, so confirm them with the official source and a qualified professional before you act. Full terms are in our Terms of Service.
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