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following is useful information on establishing
a business in Dade County, Florida. |
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Empowerment
& Enterprise Zones
Miami-Dade County is home to state Enterprise
Zones and a federal Empowerment Zone. These
zones offer outstanding benefits to businesses
that relocate or expand. Financial assistance
is available in the form of incentives, grants
and tax rebates. The Empowerment Zone Trust,
Inc. is the entity responsible for development
in the Empowerment Zone. Miami-Dade County's
Office of Community and Economic Development
oversees development in the Enterprise Zones.
Business Assistance. |
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The
Beacon Council, Miami-Dade County's official
economic development partnership, is the entity
responsible for attracting and retaining job-generating
investment to the community. The Beacon Council
provides business assistance services that
include customized tax benefit and incentive
packages, site location and real estate referrals,
liaison to labor training and recruitment
and demographic and economic research.
Permitting.
www.beaconcouncil.com |
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Miami-Dade
County assists businesses with a fast-track
permitting process, allowing companies to
establish or expand their operations in our
community in a timely fashion.
www.miamidade.gov |
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Office
of Job Creation and Welfare-to-Work
The Mayor's Office of Job Creation and Welfare-to-Work
is responsible for facilitating business development
in Miami-Dade County. Working in partnership
with The Beacon Council, this office provides
valuable information and assistance to relocating
or expanding businesses. Miami-Dade County
is committed to creating jobs for those transitioning
from welfare-to-work. The Miami-Dade/Monroe
WAGES (Work and Gain Self-Sufficiency) Coalition
is the entity that oversees the county's welfare-to-work
effort. |
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Metro-Miami
Action Plan Trust (MMAP)
The Metro-Miami Action Plan Trust (MMAP) assists
businesses with referrals for business training
and education, franchise opportunities and
provides funding to businesses that create
jobs in the black community. |
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Office
of Community and Economic
Development (OCED)
The Office of Community and Economic Development
(OCED) coordinates and provides financial
and management assistance for programs in
a variety of categories including: housing,
historic preservation, public services, capital
improvement and economic development. All
projects are funded with Community Development
Block Grant Funds. |
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Occupational License
The occupational license is a privilege
tax imposed by county law on every person,
firm, partnership, or corporation engaged
in business within the county. Occupational
licenses are issued for one year beginning
October 1st and expiring on September 30th
of each year. Licenses are transferable
when there is a change of ownership, business
location or trade name. A personal license
is not transferable to another individual.
A license is required for each place of
business and or each separate classification
at the same location.
Tel: 305-270-4949
www.miamidade.gov/taxcollector |
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Licenses
not renewed by October 1st become delinquent
and subject to a penalty of 10% for the month
of October and an 5% for each month of delinquent
thereafter, provided that the penalty does
not exceed 25% of the occupational license
tax. |
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Failure
to pay tax when true may result in one of
the following:
a- Tax collector’s warrant addressed
to the Director of Public Safety Department
commanding him to levy and sell any real or
personal property of the person liable (Section
8A-181 of Metro Dade County Code.)
b- Civil citation with penalty in the amount
of $100,00 plus $100.00 per day after 20
days, to a maximum of $2500.00. This may
result in a lien to your Real or Personal
property as provided by Section 8CC of the
Metro Dade County Code. |
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Furthermore,
FS 205.053 (3) provides for an additional
penalty of up to $250.00, if your license
remains unpaid for 150 days after the initial
notice of tax due. |
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The
mailing of the occupational license renewal
applications is a courtesy reminder. It is
the licensee’s responsibility to renew
before the expiration date to avoid penalties. |
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In
addition to the collection of the Dade County
Occupational License Tax, the tax collector
collects the unincorporated municipal tax;
therefore, if a business is located in the
unincorporated are both taxes must be paid
(Sec. 8a-171 and Sec. 8a-224). |
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Certificate
of use and occupancy (zoning use permit):
If your business is located in the unincorporated
Dade County, you are required to obtain a
certificate of use and occupancy (zoning permit),
In addition to the occupational license. For
further information please contact: Dade-County
Building & Zoning Department Zoning Permit
Section 111 NW 1 Street, Suite 10100 Miami,
Florida 33128 (305) 271-1242. Certain business
may require inspection or approvals (HRS,
fire, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, building,
etc.) prior to the issuance of the Certificate
of Use & Occupancy (Zoning Use Permit). |
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City Licenses:
If your business is located within a municipality,
you are required to obtain a city license
in addition to a Dade County Occupational
License. Contact the respective city for
information. All business dealing with food
must also have an approval from: Hotel &
Restaurant Commission 8405 NW 53 Street,
C-240 Miami, Florida 33166 (305) 470-5680
This approval must be obtained before applying
for an occupational license. |
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Professionals or Businesses:
Regulated by the Department of Business
and Professional Regulations (DBPR), i.e.,
physicians. Dentists, engineers, real estate
firms, real estate brokers, etc. Must submit
their current state license when applying
for a new Dade county occupational license.
Building contractors must have a current
certificate of competency or registration
of their state certification issued by the
Dade county building department, contractors
division, before obtaining a Dade county
occupational license. |
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For
more information contact Dade county building
and zoning, contractors division at (305)
271-1242. |
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Exemptions:
Al permanently disabled persons incapable
of manual labor, windows with minor dependents,
and persons 65 years of age or older, who
use their pawn capital (not excess of $1,000.00)
and not more than one employee, or helper,
can engage in business in the county where
they live without being required to pay
the license tax (Sec. 8A-184). |
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Disable
veterans, to their un-remarried spouses who
are permanent resident electors of the State
of Florida and show proof of their disability
compensation from the Federal Government,
shall receive a $50.00 exemption on any exemption
on any license tax due. Their businesses must
be carried on mainly through their personal
effort (Sec. 8A-184). |
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As
per Section 8A-185, exemptions from Occupational
license are:
a) Religious institutions
b) Educational institutions
c) Charitable non-profit institutions |
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Additional Information:
The license must be displayed conspicuously
at your place of business and in such a
manner as to be open to the view of the
public and subject to inspection by all
duly authorized officers of the county.
The occupational license office must be
notified immediately regarding any change
in the license status, when the fee is based
upon capacity, number of persons employed
by any other contingency.
Should you cease doing business, return
the license to the occupational license
office so your business may be removed from
the file.
Refer to your license number whenever you
contact the occupation license office. For
further information please contact: Dade
County Occupational License 140 West Flagler
Street, Room 1407 Miami, Florida 33130 Telephone
# 305-270-4949 Fax # 305-372-6368 South
Dade Government Center 10710 SW 211 Street
# 104 Miami, Florida 33189 Hours: 8:30 AM
– 4:30 Pm Mondays- Fridays (Excluding
Holidays). |
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