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Operating A Business

How to Obtain a Business Tax Receipt

Orange County, Florida Government

Summary

This page explains the process of obtaining a Business Tax Receipt for the purpose of operating a business in Orange County, Florida. This page also provides links to other resources to assist customers with the online permitting process.

Page Contents

Business Tax Receipt Approval Process

The Orange County Zoning Division must approve all proposed new businesses located within Unincorporated Orange County.

The Orange County Zoning Division will not accept Business Tax Receipt (BTR) Applications in-person. All Business Tax Receipt Applications must be submitted electronically through Orange County Fast Track.

Please follow these Business Tax Receipt Submittal Guidelines

To Apply for a Business Tax Receipt, please follow these steps:

Guidelines for Home Based Businesses

If proposing a home-based business please review the following guidelines:

  • Home based business shall comply with FS §559.955.
  • A business is considered a home-based business if it operates, in whole or in part, from a residentially zoned property.
  • The activities of a home-based business must be secondary to the property’s primary use as a dwelling unit.
  • The employees who work at the residence must also reside at the residence, except:
    • a. A maximum of two (2) independent contractors who do not live at the home, may work at the home.
    • b. The business may have additional remote employees that do not work at the residential dwelling.
  • The view of the residential property from the street must be consistent with the uses of the residential areas surrounding the property.
  • The parking of commercial and dual rear wheeled vehicles shall be prohibited at the location of the home based business.
  • Any ancillary trailers or equipment used in conjunction with the home based business must not be visible from the street, or any abutting properties, and must be parked on an improved surface in compliance with County standards.
  • For a home based limousine service or business, a vehicle for hire form is required.

Guidelines for Commercial Businesses

The following steps apply to Commercial Businesses only, NOT a Home-Based Business:

  • Associated Required Building Permit
    • a. New Structure: Must apply for a building permit and receive the Certificate of Occupancy before the Business Tax Receipt (BTR) will be issued.
    • b. Existing structure with no alterations or any change of occupancy classification: A Use Permit will be created for you, and linked to your BTR application. You must login to Fast Track and complete information under “My Permits” for the Use Permit.
    • c. Existing structure with changes: Apply for a Commercial Alteration (Interior and/or Exterior) permit on Fast Track.
  • Complete Inspections and Pay Fees
    • Use Fast Track to schedule your inspections and pay for any additional fees. Use Fast Track to view your inspector’s progress on the way to your site and review the results of your inspections.
  • Receive Certificate of Occupancy
    • After your final inspection has been completed with no division holds on your permit and no outstanding fees owed you will receive your “C. of O.”. For a copy of the “C. of O.” please send a request to buildingrecords@ocfl.net
  • After you have received approval from the Zoning Division, paid all your fees, and receive a “C. of O.” from the Division of Building Safety, if applicable, you will then need to contact the Business Tax Department for further instruction. The Business Tax Office may be reached at 407-434-0312 option 2 for the business & property tax department.

Roadmap to Operating a Business in Orange County

The Roadmap to Operating a Business in Orange County, details the steps for obtaining a Business Tax Receipt in Orange County. A text description of the flowchart is provided below.

Figure 1 - Roadmap to Operating a Business in Orange County
Click the image to download an interactive PDF version.
Flowchart of the Business Tax Receipt approval process. Text description of the process is given below, in the Process Flowchart Details.
Text description of the Roadmap to Operating a Business in Orange County.

The process of obtaining approval to operate a business in Orange County has the following steps:

  1. Create Fast Track Account

      Visit the Fast Track registration instructions page to get started. Please choose the ‘Zoning/BZA’ category for your account. You will receive a temporary password via email. Once you login and change this password you are ready to use Fast Track.
  2. Apply for Zoning Approval

      Download and complete a Business Tax Receipt Zoning Approval Form and apply for a Business Tax Receipt permit on Fast Track. Upload the completed form as part of the online permit application and pay the non-refundable fee. The actual Business Tax Receipt is issued by the Orange County Tax Collector. Please visit this page for more information about the BTR process.
  3. Zoning Review

      Zoning will review your application. You will be contacted for any additional info. A building permit is required for new and existing buildings with alterations and a use permit is required for existing buildings with no alterations. Home based businesses without alterations do not require a building permit, move on to step 7.
  4. Associated Building and Fire Permits

      New construction: apply for a building permit and complete all inspections. Existing structures without alterations or change of occupancy: a Use Permit will be created in Fast Track. Login and complete the required permit information. Existing structures with changes: apply for an alteration permit and complete all inspections. Most projects require fire permits and inspections.
  5. Complete Inspections, Pay Fees

      Use Fast Track to schedule your inspections and pay for any additional fees. Use Fast Track to view your building inspector’s progress on the way to your site and review the results of your inspections. Visit the Fast Track Video Resources page for more information.
  6. Certificate of Occupancy (C. of O.)

      After final inspection, release of all holds and payment of fees (additional impact fees may be due for a change of use), you will receive your ‘C. of O.’ For a copy of the Certificate of Occupancy, please email buildingrecords@ocfl.net.
  7. Contact The Business Tax Office

      Contact the Business Tax Department to obtain your business tax receipt. Once this has been issued, you will be all set to open the doors to your new Orange County business.

Contact Us

For questions, please call the Zoning Division

Phone: (407) 836-3111
Email: Zoning@ocfl.net