Pinellas County Sales Tax Rate: 7% Breakdown and Surtax Cap

The Pinellas County sales tax rate is 7%. That’s Florida’s 6% statewide sales tax plus a 1% local surtax that Pinellas County voters approved through December 31, 2029.¹² The rate applies to most retail purchases, but groceries and prescription drugs are exempt, and the county’s 1% portion is capped on big-ticket items.

How the 7% Breaks Down

Florida charges 6% on most tangible personal property sold at retail.¹ Each county can add a discretionary surtax on top with voter approval.³ Pinellas levies 1%, known locally as the Penny for Pinellas, bringing the combined rate to 7%.² If you shop across the bridge in Hillsborough County, the total rate is different because the surtax rate there is higher.

The 7% covers physical goods (electronics, clothing, furniture, appliances), admissions to theme parks, concerts, and sporting events, and short-term lodging.⁴

The $5,000 Surtax Cap on Single Items

Here’s the wrinkle worth knowing before a large purchase. The county’s 1% surtax only applies to the first $5,000 of a single item’s price. Buy a $20,000 boat and you owe the 1% on $5,000 (a maximum of $50 in surtax) plus the full 6% state tax on $20,000. Items sold in bulk or assembled into a working unit count as a single item for that $5,000 threshold.⁵

The cap does not apply to admissions, transient rentals, services, or prepaid calling arrangements.⁶ On those, the 1% surtax rides the entire price.

What’s Exempt

Groceries are the biggest everyday exemption. Food products for human consumption (produce, dairy, meat, bread, canned goods) are not taxed when purchased for home use.⁷ Prepared food sold for immediate consumption, like restaurant meals or deli items eaten on site, is still taxable.

Prescription medications, common household remedies, hypodermic needles and syringes, and diagnostic test kits are exempt. So are prosthetic and orthopedic appliances, artificial limbs and eyes, hearing aids, crutches, dentures, and prescription eyeglasses.⁷ Cosmetics and toiletries don’t qualify, even when they contain medicinal ingredients.

Things Taxed at a Different Rate

Phone, Internet, and Cable

Communications services aren’t taxed at the standard 7%. Florida imposes a separate communications services tax, with a combined state rate of 7.44% and an additional local rate that varies within the county.⁸ It shows up as a separate line on your phone and cable bills.

Hotel Rooms and Short-Term Rentals

Stays of six months or less are subject to an additional 6% tourist development tax on top of the 7% sales tax, for an effective rate of 13%.⁹ Airbnb and Vrbo typically collect both taxes automatically. Hosts who take direct bookings are responsible for registering and remitting.

Commercial Rent

Florida used to tax commercial real property rent, which was unusual among states. That tax was fully repealed effective October 1, 2025. Businesses leasing commercial space in Pinellas County no longer owe state or local sales tax on their rent payments.

Online and Out-of-State Purchases

When a seller doesn’t charge Florida sales tax on something delivered to Pinellas County, you owe use tax at the same 7% rate.⁴ Most major online retailers now collect it automatically, but smaller sellers and foreign purchases often don’t.

If you paid another state’s sales tax at 6% or more on the same item, no Florida tax is due. Paid less than 6%? You owe the difference. Taxes paid to a foreign country don’t count as a credit.¹⁰ Items you bought and used in another state for at least six months before bringing them into Florida are exempt.

Individuals who aren’t registered sales tax dealers report use tax on Form DR-15MO. It’s due on the first day of the month after the quarter in which you made the purchase, and it’s late after the 20th. If the total is under $1, you can skip filing.¹⁰

Sales Tax Holidays

Florida periodically suspends sales tax on specific categories of goods, and the exemption covers both the state and county portions. For 2026:

Certain disaster preparedness supplies (batteries, portable generators, fuel tanks, tarps, tie-down kits) are permanently exempt year-round under recent legislation.
School supplies, clothing, and qualifying electronics like laptops and tablets are tax-free from August 1 through August 31.
Qualifying hunting, fishing, and camping supplies are exempt from September 8 through December 31.

The Legislature adjusts holidays each session, so confirm the current list with the Florida Department of Revenue before timing a purchase around one.¹¹

1
Florida Senate. Florida Code 212.05 – Sales, Storage, Use Tax
2
Florida Department of Revenue. Discretionary Sales Surtax Information for Calendar Year 2026
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Florida Senate. Florida Code 212.055 – Discretionary Sales Surtaxes; Legislative Intent; Authorization and Use of Proceeds
4
Florida Department of Revenue. Florida Sales and Use Tax
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Florida Senate. Florida Code 212.054 – Discretionary Sales Surtax; Limitations, Administration, and Collection
6
Florida Department of Revenue. Discretionary Sales Surtax
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Florida Senate. Florida Code 212.08 – Sales, Rental, Use, Consumption, Distribution, and Storage Tax; Specified Exemptions
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Florida Department of Revenue. Florida Communications Services Tax
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Pinellas County. Pay Tourist Development Tax
10
Florida Department of Revenue. Out-of-State Purchase Return
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Florida Department of Revenue. Sales Tax Holidays