Guides › How to file Okaloosa County tourist development tax (Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa Island)

How to file Okaloosa County tourist development tax (Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa Island)

Last checked Oct 26, 2026 from official sources. Not tax advice.

Okaloosa’s 6% tourist tax is filed with the Clerk of Circuit Court, not the state, and the Clerk says no booking platform files it for you.

The rate and what is taxed

6% countywide: the original district has been at 6% since Jan 1, 2023, and the expanded district (the rest of the county, added by voters in 2021) since March 1, 2025. Tax applies to rentals of six months or less on the total rent and every required charge, including cleaning fees, rollaway beds and cribs.

Register and file

1. Register your property at okaloosatouristtax.munirevs.com. Registration, filing and payment all happen there. No cash is accepted.
2. Each month, report gross rent, exempt rent and taxable rent, and pay the tax.
3. The return is due the 1st of the month after the stays and is delinquent if not postmarked by the 20th. Example from the Clerk: January’s return is due by February 20.
4. File even when nothing rented. Zero returns filed late are charged the $50 minimum penalty.

Quarterly filing

The Clerk allows quarterly filing when your history shows $1,000 or less of tax a year. Ask the Clerk before switching.

What you keep, and what you lose if late

• On-time filers keep a collection allowance of 2.5% of the first $1,200 of tax.
• Late: allowance lost, a penalty of 10% for each 30 days (up to 50%, minimum $50), and floating-rate interest set by the state each Jan 1 and Jul 1. See Florida late penalties.

Records and audits

Keep guest ledgers, receipts, exemption certificates, sales tax filings, federal returns and leases for at least three years. The Clerk gives written notice at least 30 days before an audit. See records and audits.

Help: 850-651-7200 x3490. Destin homes also need the separate City of Destin STR registration.

Questions owners ask

Does Airbnb collect Okaloosa County tourist tax?

No. The Okaloosa Clerk says it is not contracted with any platform; owners register and remit through the Clerk’s GovOS portal.

When is the Okaloosa tourist tax return due?

Due the 1st of the following month and delinquent if not postmarked by the 20th.

Can I file Okaloosa tourist tax quarterly?

The Clerk allows quarterly filing where your payment history is $1,000 or less of tax a year.

Sources

• Okaloosa Clerk, TDT FAQ (checked Oct 26, 2026)
• Okaloosa Clerk, Tourist Development Tax (checked Oct 26, 2026)
• Airbnb Help 2301, Florida occupancy tax collection (checked Oct 26, 2026)

Related

• City of Destin short-term rental registration: fees, deadlines and the sign rule
• Florida tourist tax late penalties: how they add up, and how to stop them
• Florida tourist tax audits: which records to keep, and what an audit looks like
• Okaloosa County, FL (Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa Island)
• Destin

How it works

1. Free checkTell us the address. We list every lodging tax, permit and deadline, and which ones Airbnb or Vrbo already pay.
2. Authorize onceSign one payment authorization for your own bank account and the county’s agent form. How it stays secure.
3. We file and payEvery return, including $0 months, filed and paid from your account to the county, with each confirmation in your file.