Florida: tax incentives, credits and advisors

Florida's constitution bars a state tax on the income of resident individuals, so federal strategies matter more than state ones for individuals. Florida does tax corporations, and most of its tax credits, including several that can be transferred, apply against the corporate income tax. Florida also offers property and sales tax relief for solar equipment.

Facts checked 2026-10-30 against the official sources linked below.

State incentives

Renewable energy items we cover in depth; the full catalog by category follows.

Renewable energy source device property tax treatment

For residential property, the just value attributable to a renewable energy source device (including solar collectors) may not be considered in assessing the property. For nonresidential property, 80% of that value may not be considered.

Sources: Florida Statutes §193.624 (2025)

Sales tax exemption for solar energy systems

Solar energy systems and their components are exempt from Florida sales and use tax. The Florida Solar Energy Center certifies the list of qualifying equipment.

Sources: Florida Statutes §212.08(7)(hh) (2025)

Below are the major Florida incentives we could verify against an official source, grouped by type. This is not an exhaustive list of every state program. Credits flagged Transferable can be sold or assigned to another taxpayer under state rules; see transferable state tax credits. Each row shows the date we last checked it.

Florida film and media incentives

Incentive	Type	Who qualifies	Amount, rate or cap	Transferable	Refundable	Status	Source
Entertainment industry tax credit	Credit	Productions approved by the Florida Department of Commerce under section 288.1254, F.S.	As approved; 5-year carryforward	No new credits; credits certified under the former program could be transferred once	No; credits could be carried forward at most 5 years after award	Expired: section 288.1254, F.S., was repealed July 1, 2016; no new awards (the Department of Revenue page still lists it for old credits)	Florida Department of Revenue, Corporate Income Tax Incentives; Fla. Stat. §288.1254 (2015), repealed July 1, 2016; Fla. Stat. §220.02 (2026) Last verified 2026-10-30

Florida brownfield and redevelopment incentives

Incentive	Type	Who qualifies	Amount, rate or cap	Transferable	Refundable	Status	Source
Contaminated site rehabilitation (voluntary cleanup) tax credit	Credit (corporate income tax)	Taxpayers that voluntarily rehabilitate brownfield or dry-cleaning-solvent sites, approved by the Department of Environmental Protection	50% of rehabilitation costs, up to $500,000 per site per year; 5-year carryforward	Transferable: Yes; one transfer of unused credit to another entity	No; the statute bars refunds when credits exceed the tax owed; unused credit carried forward 5 years	Active	Florida Department of Revenue, Corporate Income Tax Incentives; Florida DOR, Tax Information Publication 98C1-04; Fla. Stat. §376.30781 (2026); Fla. Stat. §220.1845 (2026) Last verified 2026-10-30

Florida jobs, investment and enterprise zones incentives

Incentive	Type	Who qualifies	Amount, rate or cap	Transferable	Refundable	Status	Source
Capital investment tax credit	Credit (corporate income tax)	Businesses in designated high-impact sectors with a certified project of at least $25 million cumulative capital investment	Up to 5% of eligible capital costs a year for up to 20 years	Transferable: Limited: only a project that includes a new solar panel manufacturing facility (at least 400 jobs, average salary of at least $50,000) may assign or transfer the credit, and the transferee must use it in the year received	No refund provision; generally no carryforward or carryback (unused credit from a project of $100 million or more may be used in years 21 to 30)	Active	Florida Department of Revenue, Corporate Income Tax Incentives; Fla. Stat. §220.191 (2026) Last verified 2026-10-30
Rural job tax credit	Credit	Eligible businesses creating jobs in designated rural counties	$1,000 to $1,500 per qualified employee; up to $500,000 a year	No (the statute has no sale or transfer provision)	No refund of the credit itself (credits against sales tax must be used within 12 months of approval; the corporate income tax credit carries forward 5 years); a separate refund of up to 50% of sales tax on electricity for one year is available	Active	Florida Department of Revenue, Corporate Income Tax Incentives; Fla. Stat. §212.098 (2026); Fla. Stat. §220.1895 (2026) Last verified 2026-10-30
Urban high-crime area job tax credit	Credit	Eligible businesses creating jobs in designated urban areas	$500 to $2,000 per qualified employee; 5-year carryforward	No (the statute has no sale or transfer provision)	No refund provision; sales tax credits must be used within 12 months of approval; corporate income tax credit carried forward 5 years	Active	Florida Department of Revenue, Corporate Income Tax Incentives; Fla. Stat. §212.097 (2026); Fla. Stat. §220.1895 (2026) Last verified 2026-10-30
Strong Families tax credit	Credit	Taxpayers contributing to DCF-designated child welfare charities, with a DOR allocation	100% of the eligible contribution; 10-year carryforward	No; only with a transfer of all the taxpayer's assets in the same transaction, or between members of an affiliated group with Department of Revenue approval	No refund provision; unused credit carried forward 10 years	Active	Florida DOR, Strong Families Tax Credit; Fla. Stat. §402.62 (2026) Last verified 2026-10-30
Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program credit	Credit	Taxpayers contributing to eligible scholarship-funding organizations, with a DOR allocation	Dollar-for-dollar credit for the contribution; 10-year carryforward	No; only to members of the taxpayer's affiliated group	No refund provision; unused credit carried forward 10 years	Active	Florida DOR, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program; Fla. Stat. §1002.395 (2026) Last verified 2026-10-30
New Worlds Reading Initiative credit	Credit	Taxpayers contributing to the eligible administrator	Dollar-for-dollar credit for the contribution	No; only with a transfer of all the taxpayer's assets in the same transaction, or between members of an affiliated group with Department of Revenue approval	No refund provision; unused credit carried forward 10 years	Active	Florida DOR, Multi-Tax Credits; Fla. Stat. §1003.485 (2026) Last verified 2026-10-30
Child care tax credits program	Credit	Employers establishing, operating or paying for eligible child care facilities for employees	Startup: 50% of startup costs, up to $1 million (1 to 19 employees), $500,000 (20 to 250) or $250,000 (over 250). Operating: $300 a month per eligible child, up to $50,000, $500,000 or $1 million by employer size. Employee payments: 100% of payments up to $3,600 per child a year. $5 million statewide yearly cap for fiscal years 2024-25 through 2027-28	No; only with a transfer of all the taxpayer's assets in the same transaction, or between members of an affiliated group with Department of Revenue approval	No refund provision; unused credit carried forward 5 years; pro-rata repayment if the facility runs fewer than 5 years	Active	Florida DOR, Multi-Tax Credits; Fla. Stat. §402.261 (2026); Fla. Stat. §220.19 (2026) Last verified 2026-10-30
Credit for qualified railroad reconstruction or replacement expenditures	Credit (corporate income tax)	Class II and Class III railroads with qualified track reconstruction or replacement spending in Florida, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2023	50% of qualified expenditures, capped at $3,500 times the miles of track owned or leased in Florida; apply by May 1 of the following year	Transferable: Yes; in whole or in part, by written agreement, to a corporate taxpayer that ships by the railroad or furnishes railroad-related property or services, or to another railroad; the Department of Revenue must be notified	No refund provision; unused credit carried forward 5 years	Active	Fla. Stat. §220.1915 (2026) Last verified 2026-10-30
Individuals with Unique Abilities tax credit	Credit (corporate income tax)	Employers with a Florida business that employ a qualified employee with a disability for at least 6 months	$1 per hour worked, up to 1,000 hours, per qualified employee; up to $10,000 per taxpayer a year; $5 million statewide yearly cap for fiscal years 2024-25 through 2026-27	No (the statute has no sale or transfer provision)	No refund provision; unused credit carried forward 5 years	Active; statewide cap set for fiscal years 2024-25 through 2026-27	Fla. Stat. §220.1992 (2026) Last verified 2026-10-30

Florida research and development incentives

Incentive	Type	Who qualifies	Amount, rate or cap	Transferable	Refundable	Status	Source
Research and development tax credit	Credit (corporate income tax)	Eligible businesses with qualified research expenses, by annual allocation application	10% of qualified research expenses above the 4-year base amount, limited to 50% of remaining corporate income tax liability; $9 million statewide yearly cap, prorated if oversubscribed (applications March 20 to 27); target-industry businesses only	No (the statute has no sale or transfer provision)	No refund provision; unused credit carried forward 5 years	Active	Florida Department of Revenue, Corporate Income Tax Incentives; Fla. Stat. §220.196 (2026) Last verified 2026-10-30

Florida angel and venture investment incentives

Incentive	Type	Who qualifies	Amount, rate or cap	Transferable	Refundable	Status	Source
New markets tax credit	Credit	Investors making qualified investments under section 288.9913, F.S.	39% of the purchase price of a qualified investment; 5-year carryforward	No sale provision; eligibility to claim passed to later purchasers of the qualified investment (former program)	No; unused credit carried forward 5 years (former program)	Expired: the program ended December 31, 2022 (s. 15, ch. 2009-50, Laws of Florida); section 220.02(8) now calls it former s. 288.9916	Florida Department of Revenue, Corporate Income Tax Incentives; Fla. Stat. §220.02 (2026); Fla. Stat. §288.9916 (2022) Last verified 2026-10-30
Rural Community Investment Program credit	Credit (corporate income tax or insurance premium tax)	Investors making approved investor contributions to a certified rural fund (a licensed rural or small business investment company) that invests in rural Florida businesses	25% of the investor contribution, claimed 20% a year in the tax years containing the first through fifth credit certification dates; $7 million statewide yearly cap from fiscal year 2025-26 and $35 million in total	Transferable: Limited: may not be sold on the open market; may be transferred only to affiliates of the rural fund	No; the statute bars refunds; unused credit carried forward until the tax year containing the 11th credit certification date	Active; no new applications after December 1, 2029; program expires December 31, 2040	Fla. Stat. §288.062 (2026) Last verified 2026-10-30

Florida housing incentives

Incentive	Type	Who qualifies	Amount, rate or cap	Transferable	Refundable	Status	Source
Community contribution tax credit	Credit	Businesses contributing to eligible sponsors of community development and housing projects	50% of the contribution, up to $200,000 per business a year	No (the statute has no sale or transfer provision)	No refund provision; unused credit carried forward 5 years	Active	Florida Department of Revenue, Corporate Income Tax Incentives; Fla. Stat. §220.183 (2026) Last verified 2026-10-30
Live Local Program tax credit	Credit	Taxpayers contributing to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation	Dollar-for-dollar credit for the contribution	No; only with a transfer of all the taxpayer's assets in the same transaction, or between members of an affiliated group with Department of Revenue approval	No refund provision; unused credit carried forward 10 years; $100 million statewide yearly cap	Active	Florida DOR, Multi-Tax Credits; Fla. Stat. §420.50872 (2026) Last verified 2026-10-30

Florida charitable giving incentives

Incentive	Type	Who qualifies	Amount, rate or cap	Transferable	Refundable	Status	Source
Home Away From Home tax credit	Credit (corporate income tax, insurance premium tax and others)	Taxpayers contributing to Florida 501(c)(3) organizations that house families of critically ill children in treatment, with a Department of Revenue allocation	Dollar-for-dollar credit for the contribution; $13 million statewide yearly cap beginning in fiscal year 2026-27	No; only with a transfer of all the taxpayer's assets in the same transaction, or between members of an affiliated group with Department of Revenue approval	No refund provision; unused credit carried forward 10 years	Active; no new approvals for fiscal years after 2031-32	Fla. Stat. §402.63 (2026); Fla. Stat. §220.18775 (2026) Last verified 2026-10-30

State income tax notes

Florida's constitution prohibits a state tax on the income of natural persons who are residents or citizens, beyond amounts creditable against a similar federal tax. (Source: Florida Constitution, Art. VII, §5)
Florida's corporate income tax is 5.5% of the taxpayer's Florida net income, subject to the adjustments in section 220.1105. (Source: Florida Statutes §220.11 (2026))

Advisors located in Florida

Carroll and Company Tallahassee, FL
Kaufman Rossin Miami, FL
Pivot CPAs Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
The Goldstein Environmental Law Firm Coral Gables, FL

Listed alphabetically by the location on each advisor's public listing; not a recommendation. Many firms also serve clients in other states.

Sponsors headquartered in Florida

Engineered Tax Services, Inc. US (West Palm Beach, FL HQ)

Each sponsor page shows its evidence score and any public-record flags.

Related strategies

Solar Investment Credits IRS scrutiny: Yellow/Orange
Accelerated Depreciation IRS scrutiny: Yellow
Donor-Advised Funds IRS scrutiny: Green
Short-Term Rental Losses IRS scrutiny: Yellow
Research and Development Credits IRS scrutiny: Yellow

Related guides

Common questions

Does Florida have a state income tax on individuals?

No. Article VII, section 5 of the Florida Constitution prohibits a state tax on the income of resident individuals beyond amounts creditable against a similar federal tax.

Does rooftop solar raise my Florida property assessment?

For residential property, the value attributable to a renewable energy source device such as solar panels may not be considered in the assessment.

Can Florida tax credits be bought or transferred?

Some can. The voluntary cleanup (brownfield) tax credit and the railroad reconstruction credit can be transferred under the Florida Statutes, and the capital investment tax credit can be transferred only for a qualifying solar panel manufacturing project. Contribution credits such as Strong Families and Live Local can move only within an affiliated group of corporations.

Is the Florida film tax credit still available?

No. The entertainment industry tax credit statute, section 288.1254, was repealed July 1, 2016, and no new credits are being awarded.

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Education only; not tax, legal or investment advice. State rules change; confirm with the official source and a qualified professional.