The week before your CPA’s deadline hits, panic sets in. You scramble through bank statements, receipts scattered in a shoebox, and credit card charges you barely recognize. Your CPA is waiting. The March 15 deadline for pass-through entity filings and sales tax reports approaches fast. You’re not sure what goes where, whether you’ve captured everything, or if you’re missing critical transactions that could cost you later. This feeling is common—and fixable. Getting your financial reports organized and ready for your CPA doesn’t require hiring an accountant to do it for you. It requires a clear process, the right tools to categorize your data, and knowing exactly what your CPA needs before that deadline arrives.
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Does this apply to your business in Florida?
If you operate in Florida and sell taxable goods or services, you must file a sales tax return by the 20th of the month following your filing period—whether that’s monthly, quarterly, or annually. The Florida Department of Revenue requires you to report sales tax collected and remit it on the DR-15 form or through its online filing system. Your CPA needs clean, categorized transaction data to prepare these reports accurately and on time.
How the rate works
Florida’s sales tax structure has two parts: the state rate and your county’s local surtax. The state imposes a base rate; your county adds its own surtax on top. The combined rate varies by county—what you owe in Miami-Dade differs from what you owe in Orange County. Rather than memorizing rates that change, use the Florida Department of Revenue‘s tax rate lookup tool or a sales tax calculator to confirm the exact combined rate for your business location. This ensures you charge and report the correct amount on every transaction.
How to file step by step
Before you sit down to file, organize your transaction data by category: taxable sales, exempt sales, cost of goods sold, operating expenses, and any adjustments. Your CPA needs to see which transactions are which.
To file the DR-15, visit the Florida Department of Revenue online portal. Log in with your Florida sales tax account. The form walks you through gross sales, taxable sales at your combined rate (state 6% plus your county surtax), and tax collected. You’ll report what you charged customers, what you owe the state, and any credits or adjustments. Complete each section in order. Double-check the combined rate—state rate plus your county surtax—by consulting the rate lookup tool. Submit before the 20th of the following month. If you file quarterly or annually, use the same process on the schedule that applies to your business.
The key step happens before you open the DR-15 portal: your bank statements and transaction categories must already be clean and sorted. This is where transaction categorization by your CPA—or by you with the right tool—saves hours and catches errors. Outsourcing Processing organizes and categorizes your transaction data, then produces a report your CPA can import and review, cutting the time you both spend on data entry and reducing the risk of missed or miscoded sales.
Common mistakes
Mixing taxable and exempt sales in one line item. Services are generally not taxable in Florida unless listed in Statute 212. Tangible personal property is taxable unless specifically exempt. Many small-business owners lump all revenue together, then realize too late they’ve misreported what’s taxable. The fix: separate your sales by category from the start. Ask your CPA which of your offerings are taxable and which are not, then keep them in different line items in your accounting records.
Forgetting to account for out-of-state or exempt sales. If you sell to customers outside Florida or provide exempt services, those transactions still need to be recorded—just not taxed. Leaving them out of your report looks suspicious and can trigger questions from the Department of Revenue. The fix: include all sales in your gross revenue, then separately identify which are taxable. Your CPA can then adjust the taxable portion accurately.
Waiting until the last day to organize data. The March 15 deadline is firm. If you scramble to pull together nine months of receipts on March 13, you’ll make mistakes or miss your deadline entirely. The fix: set a monthly or quarterly routine to review and categorize transactions as they happen. Spend 30 minutes every month organizing your data. By the time the deadline approaches, you’re just reviewing, not starting from scratch.
Assuming your CPA has time to chase you for missing documents. Your CPA has dozens of clients. If you send incomplete or unclear data at the last minute, they may have to push your filing or file an extension. Extensions are not free and they extend your liability if you owe tax. The fix: deliver organized, categorized reports to your CPA at least two weeks before the filing deadline. Give them time to spot gaps and ask for clarification.
Frequently Asked Questions
When exactly is the March 15 deadline? March 15 is the deadline for pass-through entity (S-corporation, LLC, partnership) federal returns to the IRS. Sales tax returns in Florida have their own schedule: they’re due by the 20th of the month following your filing period. Confirm with your CPA which deadline applies to your business structure and whether you file monthly, quarterly, or annually.
What if I miss the sales tax deadline? Missing a deadline can result in failure-to-file penalties and interest. The amount depends on how late you are and your reason for the delay. Filing an extension may delay penalties, but won’t eliminate interest on unpaid tax. The safest move is to file on time. If you’re worried you’ll miss the deadline, contact your CPA or the Florida Department of Revenue to discuss your options before the date passes.
Can I file my own DR-15 without a CPA? You can file the DR-15 yourself if your business is small and your transactions are simple. However, misclassifying taxable versus exempt sales, forgetting adjustments, or calculating your county surtax incorrectly can lead to underpayment or overpayment. Most small-business owners find working with a CPA worth the cost to avoid errors and penalties. At minimum, use our platform to organize and categorize your data before you file or hand it to your CPA, so you’re confident in what you’re reporting.
What counts as taxable sales in Florida? Tangible personal property is taxable unless it’s on the state’s exemption list. Services are generally not taxable unless they’re listed in Statute 212—for example, certain construction services and labor services. Your specific business may fall into categories with their own rules, especially if you’re a contractor or clean property or sell prepared food. Ask your CPA which of your services or products are taxable, then code transactions accordingly.
How do I know if I’m charging the correct sales tax rate? Use the Florida Department of Revenue‘s online tax rate calculator by ZIP code or county. Enter your business location, and the tool shows you the combined state and county rate. Use that rate for every sale in your area. If you do business in multiple counties, confirm the rate for each. Updating your records monthly ensures you’re always charging correctly.
This article is for general educational purposes and isn’t a substitute for advice from a licensed CPA or tax attorney. Rules vary by jurisdiction and change over time—always confirm current requirements with the Florida Department of Revenue or your advisor.
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