Walton County, FL (30A, South Walton): short-term rental tax and permit guide
Last checked Oct 26, 2026 from official sources. Not tax advice.
Own a rental in Walton County, FL? See in two minutes what you owe and whether your platform already pays it. Free, private, no sign-up.
Check my countyReserve a founding place| Lodging tax | 5% south of Choctawhatchee Bay (ZIPs 32550, 32459, 32461); 3% north of the bay. Plus FL 6% state sales tax + 1% county surtax (state DOR) (Walton County Tourist Development Tax) |
|---|---|
| Does Airbnb collect it? | No. The Clerk says Walton is "NOT contracted with ANY platform" including Airbnb, HomeAway and Vrbo. Airbnb and Vrbo do collect the FL state sales tax and surtax. |
| Who files | The owner or whoever receives the rent. Taxable base is rent plus required non-refundable fees (cleaning, pet, resort). |
| How often / due | Monthly. Florida standard: due the 1st, delinquent after the 20th of the following month (statute pattern; Walton-specific due-date wording not re-read today). |
| Zero returns? | Yes, Florida TDT accounts file even in months with no rentals (FL standard; confirm in the Walton portal). |
| Late penalty | Florida standard: 10% (min $50) plus interest, allowance lost (from Walton General TDT Rules in our Oct 25 research; not re-fetched today). |
| Registration / permit | County Short-Term Vacation Rental Certificate, annual: $300/property (individual), $227 (community), paper processing $100, managing-agent change $125, local-contact change $25. Window opens Apr 1; term Jun 1 to May 31. Operating without registration: $500/day. Must be certified before advertising. State DBPR vacation rental license also required (see Florida hub). |
| Other fees / rules | Managing agents can register on the owner's behalf with an Agent Affidavit. The county runs a 24/7 complaint hotline, (850) 924-7887. Compliance monitoring vendor: GovOS (BCC agenda item 24-0578, Apr 23 2024; replaced Granicus). |
| Where to file | GovOS / MuniRevs: waltontdt.munirevs.com (tax); waltonvrc.munirevs.com (certificate) |
Common mistakes
- Assuming Airbnb's Florida tax line covers the county TDT. It covers state tax only.
- Using 5% for a north-county (DeFuniak Springs area) home; it's 3%.
- Leaving cleaning or pet fees out of taxable rent.
- Advertising before the certificate is issued: $500/day.
Sources
- Walton Clerk, Tourist Development Tax (fetched Oct 26, 2026)
- Walton County Office of STVR Registration (fetched Oct 26, 2026)
- Walton VRC FAQ (fetched Oct 26, 2026)
- BCC agenda 24-0578 (GovOS contract) (fetched Oct 26, 2026)
- Airbnb Help 2301 (Florida) (fetched Oct 26, 2026)
Get Walton County filing when we launch
Town guides in Walton County
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How it works
- Free checkTell us the address. We list every lodging tax, permit and deadline, and which ones Airbnb or Vrbo already pay.
- Authorize onceSign one payment authorization for your own bank account and the county’s agent form. How it stays secure.
- We file and payEvery return, including $0 months, filed and paid from your account to the county, with each confirmation in your file.
Find out in two minutes what your rental owes.
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