4.  What is the millage rate for Okaloosa County? 3.8308  (one mill equals $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property value – these are ad valorem taxes.)

Ad Valorem Property Taxes combine with other funds to create the county budget and represents less than 20 percent of the entire budget.  Other funds include:  sales & use taxes, licenses & permit fees, fines & forfeitures, utility taxes, charges for services and grants.  These are sometimes referred to as Enterprise funds. Enterprise funds refer to departments in the county who generate funds/collect fees and are at least partially self-sustaining, such as Water & Sewer, Growth Management, Public Works, Airport, Inspections, Emergency Management Services and the Emerald Coast Conference Center.

 

5.  What is an MSTU?  MSTU is a Municipal Service Taxing Unit which can only be used to fund parks. The 2007-08 MSTU rate is .2990, and only applies to residents within the unincorporated areas of Okaloosa Co.

 

6.  What is an MSBU? A Municipal Service Benefit Unit is utilized for specific benefits to/for residential neighborhoods and/or homeowners associations and only applies to those residents benefiting.

 

7.  What are bed taxes & what is the current bed tax rate? Bed taxes, sometimes called the resort tax, are a surcharge added to all short term accommodations and paid by visitors to the area.   Residents do not pay bed taxes. The TDD is solely funded by the lodging tax paid by visitors staying overnight in short-term rentals in Okaloosa County. The original tourism district collected a 5% Tourist Tax from overnight guests and included the cities of Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa Island, Mary Esther and Cinco Bayou. Eligible voters approved in 2021, the County to expand to a county-wide tourism development district. The previously created "sub-district" will collect and remit 6%. The remainder of Okaloosa County (expanded in 2021) "Expansion Area" will collect and remit at the rate of 5%. Short-term overnight rentals include hotels, motels, resort motels, apartments, apartment motels, rooming houses, mobile home parks, recreational vehicle parks, condominiums, condominium hotels, timeshare resorts, residential dwellings or campgrounds for a term of 6 months or less. The Florida Statute 125.104 permits the Board of County Commissioners of Okaloosa County to levy Tourist Development Tax (TDT), and Chapter 20 Article II, Sections 71-78 of the Okaloosa County Ordinances created the Tourist Development Council, established the initial tax rate collection, and identified the special taxing districts with Okaloosa. How these taxes are spent is governed by local county ordinance and the State of Florida.  Funds are mostly used for promotional advertising the area to tourists, beach safety promotion, and beach improvement.

 

8.  What is Okaloosa County Gas Taxes?  Nine cents is split between the county and nine municipalities.  Okaloosa County receives 1 cent entirely, which can be used for transportation funds only.