Pasco sits just north of Hillsborough, between the Gulf coast at Hudson and the farm country around Dade City. Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes are not cities at all, which changes the paperwork. Our office is south of the county line, in downtown Tampa. We work with Pasco owners by phone, email, and video.
Greg Neilsen, JD, LLM (Master of Laws in Taxation), reviews our guides. Last reviewed: October 5, 2026.
Each answer is below.
Yes, from the county. Wesley Chapel is not one of Pasco’s six cities, so a business there needs only the Pasco County receipt from the Tax Collector. The same goes for Land O’ Lakes, Trinity, Holiday, and Hudson.
Pasco receipts run through September 30 and expire October 1. Renewal notices go out at the end of June. Bring a copy of your state or county license when you apply.
Example: A pest control company opens in Wesley Chapel in March. It applies with the Pasco Tax Collector and attaches its state license. Its first receipt expires that September 30. It renews every year after that.
You need a city receipt too. The Pasco Tax Collector says every city in the county requires one for businesses operating inside its limits. Some cities require the county receipt first.
Pasco’s six cities are Dade City, New Port Richey, Port Richey, San Antonio, St. Leo, and Zephyrhills.
Example: A plumber moves the shop from Trinity to downtown New Port Richey. Before, one county receipt covered it. Now it needs the county receipt and a New Port Richey receipt.
Every piece of business equipment you own on January 1, reported to the Pasco County Property Appraiser by April 1. That includes equipment fully depreciated on your books. It also includes anything you wrote off under Section 179.
A timely first return earns an exemption on up to $25,000 of value, and you may skip later returns while you stay under that line. A 30-day extension pushes the deadline to May 1. Late returns cost 5 percent a month, up to 25 percent. Leaving property off costs 15 percent. Filing no return costs 25 percent.
Example: A landscaper buys $30,000 of zero-turn mowers and writes the full cost off on the 2026 tax return. On the 2027 property return, due April 1, those mowers still go on the list. If the Property Appraiser values them at $30,000, the first $25,000 is exempt and $5,000 is taxed.
Yes, before you work in unincorporated Pasco. A licensed contractor must register before pulling permits, being listed as a subcontractor, or getting inspections there. You register a state-certified license, or apply for a county certificate of competency card, through PascoGateway.
Florida has two license types. A certified contractor can work in any Florida jurisdiction. A registered contractor can work only where the local competency was earned.
Example: An HVAC contractor certified by the state lands a changeout in a new Wesley Chapel subdivision. The contractor registers the license with Pasco before pulling the permit. The same contractor, working a job inside Zephyrhills, checks the city’s own permit rules.
7 percent: Florida’s 6 percent state rate plus Pasco’s 1 percent surtax. The surtax follows the delivery address, and it stops at the first $5,000 of any single item.
That matters on the south edge of the county. Wesley Chapel jobs pay 1 percent surtax. Jobs a few miles south in New Tampa are in Hillsborough and pay 1.5 percent.
Example: An irrigation contractor orders $2,500 of parts. Delivered to a Wesley Chapel job, tax is $150 state plus $25 surtax: $175. Delivered to a New Tampa job, surtax is $37.50: $187.50 total.
Florida’s hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. Pasco’s coast, from Hudson to Port Richey, faces the Gulf. Inland, a storm turns into downed trees and debris work for weeks.
When FEMA declares a disaster, the IRS often postpones federal filing and payment deadlines in the covered area. Each postponement is announced per storm. We confirm Pasco is on the list before we move any date.
Example: After a storm, a landscaper pays three cleanup subs: $2,400, $1,800, and $5,000. For 2026 payments, a 1099-NEC is required at $2,000. Two subs get one. All three filled out a W-9 before the first check.
We serve Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes, Lutz, Zephyrhills, Dade City, New Port Richey, Port Richey, Holiday, Trinity, Odessa, and Hudson. Most owners never come in, because the work runs by phone, email, and video. You are always welcome at our Channelside office.
We know landscaping, pest control, plumbing, and HVAC books well.
Plans start at $750 per month. One flat fee covers bookkeeping, tax preparation, and planning on most plans. We set it after we see your books and put it in writing before work starts. No onboarding fee.
Your books live in QuickBooks Online, payroll runs in Gusto, and cards run through Ramp. Keep your field software; we connect Jobber, Housecall Pro, and the rest. See our bookkeeping service and business tax services.
We track the Pasco dates for you: county and city receipts, contractor registration, and the April 1 return.
No. It is unincorporated Pasco. A Wesley Chapel business needs the county receipt, not a city one.
The property return and the income tax return are separate. Pasco requires every asset you own on January 1, including Section 179 write-offs and fully depreciated equipment.
Pasco County Property Appraiser, TPP Department, PO Box 401, Dade City, FL 33526.
No. We work across Florida by phone, email, and video. Pasco is one county north of our office.
Plans start at $750 per month. The first step is a free 15-minute call with Greg. We reply within 24 hours on business days.
This page is educational and is not tax or legal advice for your situation. County and city rules change. Confirm receipt and license requirements with the issuing office before you act.
Greg Neilsen, JD, LLM (Master of Laws in Taxation), reviews our guides. Last reviewed: October 5, 2026.
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