The Tourist Development Tax Return is the form the Alachua County Tax Collector uses to collect Tourist Development Tax on rentals. It is filed every month by the people who collect the tax, including months with no rental collections. On this page you can fill out the Tourist Development Tax Return online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF. The agency publishes the original PDF at alachuacollector.com, and the return itself goes to the Tax Collector by mail, in person or through its TouristExpress online system.
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What is Tourist Development Tax Return: Alachua County, FL PDF?
The Tourist Development Tax Return is the Alachua County Tax Collector's form for reporting rental receipts for a reporting period, figuring the Tourist Development Tax collected on the taxable part of those receipts, and stating the total amount due with the return.
The return has nine lines. Line 1 is gross rental receipts and line 2 is the rentals exempt from the tax. Line 3 is taxable rental receipts (line 1 minus line 2), and line 4 is the total tax collected, figured at the rate printed on the form. Line 5 records over or under payments and needs a written explanation. Line 6 is the total tax due, line 7 the penalty, line 8 the interest and line 9 the total amount due.
The form prints two copies. One is marked "Keep This Copy for Your Records" and the other is marked "Submit with Payment." Both carry the tax number, the period, your printed name, mailing address, rental address, signature and date. The form states that the return is subject to audit.
The form is a county tax collector's return. It is not an application, and the agency can be reached at (352) 264-6968 for questions about interest and filing.
Who needs to file Tourist Development Tax Return: Alachua County, FL PDF?
The main group is the people who collect Tourist Development Tax on rentals and report it to the Alachua County Tax Collector under a tax number. The form asks for your tax number, the period, your mailing address and the address of the rental.
- Filers who pay by mail or in person complete this form and submit it with their payment. The form says no collection allowance is granted for these payments.
- Filers with no rental collections still need the form: it says that even if you do not have any rental collection, you must still file a zero return.
- Filers who choose electronic filing may file and pay through TouristExpress instead of using this paper return. The form says those who pay timely this way are granted a monthly collection allowance.
Rentals that are exempt from the tax are not left off the return: they are entered on line 2 as exempt rental receipts. The form does not describe who may sign on someone else's behalf; it asks for a signature and date.
When to file Tourist Development Tax Return: Alachua County, FL PDF
The return is filed monthly, and the form states that payments must be filed every month. A return is delinquent if it is filed after the 20th of the month following the reporting period, and payments sent by mail must be postmarked by the 20th of the following month to avoid penalties.
If you are delinquent, line 7 asks for a penalty figured as a percentage of line 6, and the form sets a minimum penalty. Line 8 asks for interest; call 352-264-6968 for the current interest information. A month with no rental collections still requires a zero return.
Documents you need
- Written explanation or documentation for any amount entered on line 5, Adjustments, when you are reporting an over or under payment.
- Payment by check or money order payable to John Power, Tax Collector, submitted with the return when you pay by mail or in person.
How to fill out Tourist Development Tax Return: Alachua County, FL PDF
Enter the tax number and period
At the top of the return, write your Tax No and the reporting Period. The return is delinquent if postmarked after the 20th of the following month.
Enter your name and addresses
Write your Printed Name, your Mailing Address with City, State and Zip, and the Rental Address with City, State and Zip.
Enter gross rental receipts
Line 1: the total amount of rentals for the reporting period.
Enter exempt rental receipts
Line 2: the rentals that are exempt from Tourist Development Tax.
Figure taxable rental receipts
Line 3: subtract line 2 from line 1 and enter the result.
Enter the tax collected
Line 4: enter the Tourist Development Tax collected, figured at the rate printed on the form on the line 3 amount.
Record any adjustment
Line 5: enter any over or under payment and attach a written explanation or documentation.
Figure the total tax due
Line 6: start from line 4, then subtract line 5 for overpayments or add line 5 for underpayments.
Add penalty and interest if late
Line 7: if the return is delinquent, enter the penalty as the form directs, with its minimum. Line 8: enter interest; call 352-264-6968 for the current interest information.
Total the amount due
Line 9: add line 6, line 7 and line 8, and write the total due with the return.
Review, sign and download the PDF
Sign and date the return, and check that both copies agree. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF, keep the record copy and submit the other with payment as described under How to submit.
How to submit Tourist Development Tax Return: Alachua County, FL PDF
The form names three ways to file and pay: online through TouristExpress, by mail, or in person.
- Online: file and pay through TouristExpress at https://alachua.county-taxes.com/tourist. The form says those who pay timely this way are granted a monthly collection allowance.
- By mail: complete the form and send it with your payment to Alachua County Tax Collector (Tourist Dev.), 12 SE 1st ST, Gainesville, FL 32601. Make the check or money order payable to John Power, Tax Collector. The mailing must be postmarked by the 20th of the following month. No collection allowance is granted for mailed payments.
- In person: submit the completed form with your payment at a Tax Collector location. The form lists Downtown at 12 SE 1st Street, Gainesville, FL 32601; Southwest at 3837 Windmeadows Blvd, Gainesville, FL 32608; and Northwest at 5801 NW 34th Blvd, Gainesville, FL 32653.
Keep the copy marked "Keep This Copy for Your Records." Questions go to PH: (352) 264-6968; the form also prints FAX: (352) 264-6912. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the return in a month with no rental collections; the form says you must still file a zero return.
- Mailing the return so it is postmarked after the 20th of the following month, which makes it delinquent.
- Entering an adjustment on line 5 without attaching the written explanation or documentation.
- Leaving the penalty on line 7 or the interest on line 8 blank on a delinquent return; line 9 adds lines 6, 7 and 8.
- Not subtracting exempt rental receipts (line 2) from gross rental receipts (line 1) to get the taxable receipts on line 3.
- Making the check payable to the wrong name instead of John Power, Tax Collector.
- Mailing the return to a location other than Alachua County Tax Collector (Tourist Dev.), 12 SE 1st ST, Gainesville, FL 32601.
- Expecting the monthly collection allowance on a mailed or in-person payment; the form grants it only for timely payment through TouristExpress.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Tourist Development Tax Return?
It is the Alachua County Tax Collector's form for reporting a period's rental receipts, the exempt and taxable amounts, the Tourist Development Tax collected, and the total due. The return is subject to audit, according to the form.
When is the Alachua County Tourist Development Tax Return due?
Monthly. A return is delinquent if filed after the 20th of the month following the reporting period, and mailed payments must be postmarked by the 20th of the following month to avoid penalties.
Do I have to file if I had no rentals this month?
Yes. The form says payments must be filed monthly and that even if you do not have any rental collection, you must still file a zero return.
Can I file the Tourist Development Tax Return online?
Yes, through TouristExpress at https://alachua.county-taxes.com/tourist, where you file and pay electronically. This paper return is for paying by mail or in person, and only timely TouristExpress payments earn the collection allowance.
Where do I mail the Tourist Development Tax Return?
Mail it with your payment to Alachua County Tax Collector (Tourist Dev.), 12 SE 1st ST, Gainesville, FL 32601. Make the check or money order payable to John Power, Tax Collector, and have it postmarked by the 20th of the following month.
What happens if I file the return late?
A late return carries a penalty on line 7, figured as a percentage of line 6 with a minimum, and interest on line 8. Call 352-264-6968 for the current interest information.
What goes on line 5 of the return?
Line 5 is for adjustments: over or under payments. Attach a written explanation or documentation. On line 6 you subtract line 5 for overpayments or add it for underpayments.
Can I fill out the Tourist Development Tax Return on FillingPDF?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is independent of the Alachua County Tax Collector and does not file the return or accept payment; you submit it through the agency's channels.
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