The Florida Resident Military Exemption from FL Sales Tax is a Certificate of Entitlement that a military member signs to claim an exemption from Florida sales tax on a motor vehicle or vessel bought while stationed in another state. The Alachua County Tax Collector posts the PDF on its website. It is written for Florida residents who live outside Florida under military orders. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the official PDF itself is published by the agency.
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What is Florida Resident Military Exemption from FL Sales Tax?
The Florida Resident Military Exemption from FL Sales Tax is a one-page sworn certificate in which a military member states that a vehicle or vessel bought while stationed outside Florida qualifies for an exemption from Florida sales tax.
The printed title of the document is Certificate of Entitlement for U.S. Military Service Personnel (Currently Stationed in a State Other Than Florida) Claiming an Exemption from Florida Sales Tax. The Alachua County Tax Collector publishes it as a PDF on its website.
The certificate identifies the military member, the state where the purchase was made, and the vehicle or vessel by year, make and identification number. The member then certifies six points:
- Florida is the member's state of residence.
- The member lives outside Florida under military orders.
- The vehicle or vessel will be held outside Florida for longer than 6 months.
- The member will not bring it into Florida within 6 months of the purchase date, even temporarily.
- The member owes tax to the state where the vehicle was purchased unless a specific exemption applies.
- The member does not intend to avoid sales or use tax in any state by registering it in Florida.
The member signs under penalties of perjury. The form concerns sales tax on a purchase, as its title states. It does not cover any other tax or any purchase made while stationed in Florida.
Who needs to file Florida Resident Military Exemption from FL Sales Tax?
The certificate is for a U.S. military member who is a Florida resident, is currently living outside Florida under military orders, and bought a motor vehicle or vessel while stationed outside Florida. The member claims the exemption and signs the certificate personally.
The statements on the form set the conditions for using it:
- The vehicle or vessel will stay outside Florida for longer than 6 months.
- The member will not bring it into Florida within 6 months of the purchase date, even for temporary reasons.
- The member does not plan to avoid sales or use tax in any state by registering it in Florida.
Do not use the certificate if you cannot truthfully make every one of those statements. The title limits it to personnel currently stationed in a state other than Florida. The form also reminds the member that tax is owed to the state where the vehicle was purchased unless a specific exemption applies. The form does not describe any other person signing for the member.
When to file Florida Resident Military Exemption from FL Sales Tax
You complete the certificate when you buy a motor vehicle or vessel while stationed outside Florida and want to claim the Florida sales tax exemption. The form prints no due date of its own.
The dates that matter are the ones you certify. The vehicle or vessel will be held outside Florida for longer than 6 months, and you will not bring it into Florida within 6 months from the date of purchase. The form has a Date line next to the member's signature, so enter the date you sign.
How to fill out Florida Resident Military Exemption from FL Sales Tax
Enter the military member's name
In the opening statement, write the name of the military member in the blank after "I". This is the person who bought the vehicle or vessel and who will sign.
Enter the state of purchase
Write the state where the motor vehicle or vessel was purchased in the blank before "while stationed outside of Florida".
Describe the vehicle or vessel
Enter the year, the make and the vehicle or vessel identification number in the three labeled spaces.
Read the six certifications
Check each bullet: Florida residence, residing outside Florida under military orders, holding the vehicle outside Florida longer than 6 months, not bringing it in within 6 months, tax owed to the state of purchase, and no intent to avoid tax by registering in Florida.
Read the fraud penalty statement
The form states that fraudulently issuing the certificate to evade sales tax makes you liable for the tax plus a penalty of 200% of the tax, and possibly a third-degree felony conviction.
Date and sign the certificate
Enter the date and the signature of the military member under the perjury declaration. Sign only after you have read the entire certificate.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check the name, state and vehicle details for accuracy, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and deliver it as the agency or the requesting party directs.
How to submit Florida Resident Military Exemption from FL Sales Tax
The certificate prints no mailing address, portal, fee or delivery instruction. It is posted by the Alachua County Tax Collector at https://www.alachuacollector.com/forms/Florida%20Resident%20Military%20Exemption%20from%20FL%20Sales%20Tax.pdf. Contact that office, or the party that asked you for the certificate, to confirm how it should be delivered.
Sign and date the form before you hand it over, because the signature is made under penalties of perjury. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the agency's own channels.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Signing the certificate when any statement is untrue: the form says fraud to evade sales tax means the tax plus a penalty of 200% of the tax and possible conviction of a third-degree felony.
- Using the certificate for a purchase made while stationed in Florida; it covers personnel currently stationed in a state other than Florida.
- Bringing the vehicle or vessel into Florida within 6 months of the purchase date, even temporarily, after certifying that you would not.
- Claiming the exemption without being a Florida resident or without living outside Florida under military orders.
- Leaving out the vehicle or vessel details: year, make and identification number.
- Forgetting that the form says you owe tax to the state where the vehicle was purchased unless a specific exemption applies.
- Omitting the date or the military member's signature at the bottom of the certificate.
- Registering the vehicle or vessel in Florida to avoid sales or use tax in any state, which the certificate says you do not intend to do.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Florida Resident Military Exemption from FL Sales Tax?
It is a Certificate of Entitlement in which a military member claims an exemption from Florida sales tax on a motor vehicle or vessel bought while stationed outside Florida. The member certifies Florida residency, service outside Florida under military orders, and the other conditions printed on the form.
Who can use the Florida military sales tax exemption certificate?
A U.S. military member who is a Florida resident, currently lives outside Florida under military orders, and bought the vehicle or vessel while stationed outside Florida. The member must be able to make every statement printed on the certificate.
How long must the vehicle stay outside Florida?
The member certifies that the vehicle or vessel will be held outside Florida for longer than 6 months. The member also certifies that it will not be brought into Florida within 6 months from the date of purchase, even for temporary reasons.
What is the penalty for a false military exemption certificate?
The form states that fraudulently issuing the certificate to evade sales tax makes you liable for the sales tax plus a penalty of 200% of the tax. You may also be subject to conviction of a third-degree felony.
Do I still owe tax to the state where I bought the vehicle?
The certificate says you recognize that you owe tax to the state in which the motor vehicle was purchased unless a specific exemption applies. It does not state any exemption from that state's tax.
Does the certificate cover boats as well as cars?
Yes. The certificate refers to a motor vehicle or vessel and asks for the year, make and identification number of the vehicle or vessel. The same certifications apply to both.
Can I fill out this certificate online on FillingPDF?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service, is not the Alachua County Tax Collector and does not file or deliver the certificate; you deliver it as the agency directs.
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