Miami sales tax and resort fees, explained

I got caught out on my first trip to Miami, and I’ll admit it here so you don’t have to learn it the expensive way. I booked a hotel room at what I thought was a fair rate, ordered a round of drinks I’d mentally priced at the menu number, and then watched the actual totals land. Nothing about it was a scam. It’s just how prices work here: what you see is never quite what you pay.

The sales tax on everything

In Miami-Dade County, sales tax runs 7%: 6% is Florida’s statewide rate, and the county adds a 1% surtax on top. That 7% applies to most retail purchases, restaurant meals, and tours booked in person or added to your bill — and it is almost always excluded from the price displayed, American-style. A $40 lunch is a $42.80 lunch before you’ve even thought about the tip. On a tour or a boat trip, the price on the listing page is usually the pre-tax figure too, though this varies by operator and by GetYourGuide or Viator listing, so I’d check the fine print rather than assume.

Hotel taxes are a separate line, and they’re bigger

Where this really adds up is accommodation. On top of the 7% sales tax, most of Miami-Dade County adds tourist development taxes of roughly 6% more on hotel and short-term rental stays. Miami Beach runs its own resort tax structure on top of the county base, so a room in South Beach can carry a noticeably higher combined tax load than the same nightly rate in Downtown or Coconut Grove. Add it up and a $200-a-night room can land closer to $225 to $230 before a single resort fee is mentioned — and some properties, especially the bigger beachfront hotels, charge a separate daily resort fee (for pool towels, wifi, parking) that is not a tax at all, just a mandatory add-on. I now ask two questions when I book: what’s the total tax rate, and is there a resort fee on top. Where to stay in Miami is the guide I wish I’d read before my first booking.

Charge	Typical rate	Where it applies
Sales tax	7%	Miami-Dade County, most purchases
Tourist development tax	~6% (varies)	Hotel and short-term rental stays, county-wide
Miami Beach resort tax	Set separately, on top of the above	Hotels and rentals within Miami Beach
Resort fee	Flat daily amount, not a tax	Set by individual hotels, disclosed at booking or check-in

Tipping: expected, not optional

Tipping in Miami follows US norms, and it is genuinely expected, not a nice-to-have. I budget 18 to 20% at restaurants, and the same range for bartenders, taxi and rideshare drivers when they help with bags, tour guides, and boat crews on things like a yacht rental or a day out on the water. If I book a Miami speedboat ride, I set aside cash or a card tip for the crew separately from the listed price — it’s the same logic as a restaurant tab.

There’s a wrinkle specific to Miami Beach: a number of restaurants there already add a service charge to the bill, sometimes labelled “gratuity included” and sometimes just folded into a subtotal without much explanation. I’ve paid a double tip more than once because I didn’t read the check closely enough. My rule now: before adding anything on top, look for a line that says service, gratuity, or an already-inflated subtotal. If it’s there, that’s your tip — no need to add 20% again unless the service genuinely earned more.

Where else this shows up

It’s not just restaurants and hotels. A guided outing like a Miami yacht rental or an Everglades airboat ride booked through GetYourGuide or Viator usually shows a pre-tax price, and the crew or guide works for tips the same as anywhere else in the service industry. A half-day Downtown and Everglades tour that pairs a city stop with a swamp excursion is a good example: you’re tipping the driver-guide at the end, on top of whatever tax was already added at checkout.

None of this is unique to tourists — it’s how Florida (and the US generally) prices things — but it catches visitors from countries where the sticker price is the price. If you’re planning a broader trip, Miami on a budget and free things to do in Miami are worth reading alongside this one, because knowing where the extra 15 to 25% goes helps you set a realistic daily number rather than a nominal one.

Practical numbers to plan with

For a rough daily budget, I add about 7% to anything I buy outright (meals, retail, tours paid in person), about 13% total to any hotel rate before resort fees, and 18 to 20% on top of any service bill. It sounds like a lot written out, but in practice it’s the difference between a $150-a-day estimate and the $175 to $185 I actually spend. I’d rather know that before I land than discover it on the first receipt.

FAQ: Miami taxes, resort fees and tipping

What is the sales tax rate in Miami?

Miami-Dade County charges 7% sales tax: 6% is Florida’s state rate, plus a 1% county surtax. It applies to most retail purchases, restaurant bills, and many tours, and is almost always excluded from the displayed price.

Are hotel taxes different from sales tax?

Yes. On top of the 7% sales tax, most of Miami-Dade County adds a tourist development tax of roughly 6% more on hotel and short-term rental stays, and Miami Beach layers its own resort tax on top of that.

Are resort fees the same thing as taxes?

No. A resort fee is a separate, flat daily charge set by the individual hotel, usually covering things like wifi, pool access or parking. It is not a tax and is charged in addition to sales tax and hotel taxes.

How much should I tip in Miami?

Plan on 18 to 20% at restaurants, and the same range for bartenders, taxi and rideshare drivers, tour guides, and boat crews. This is a strong expectation in US service culture, not a discretionary extra.

Does Miami Beach add a service charge automatically?

Some restaurants in Miami Beach add a service charge directly to the bill. Check your check before adding a separate tip on top, or you may end up tipping twice on the same service.

Do tour prices on GetYourGuide or Viator include tax?

It varies by listing. Many prices on GetYourGuide and Viator are shown before local tax is added, so I treat the listed price as a starting point rather than the final cost.

Is the extra cost the same everywhere in Miami-Dade County?

Not quite. The base sales tax and county tourist tax are consistent, but Miami Beach’s own resort tax means accommodation there can carry a higher combined rate than in Downtown or Coconut Grove.

How much extra should I budget overall?

As a rough guide, add about 7% to purchases paid outright, about 13% to hotel rates before any resort fee, and 18 to 20% on top of service bills. Together these commonly add 15 to 25% to a naive daily budget.