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FLORIDA
• According to Florida Tax Watch, 10 separate economic competitive rankings placed Florida in the top 10 in five of the indexes measured.
• The Small Business Survival Index ranks Florida as one of the nation’s friendliest states for entrepreneurs.
• CEO Magazine ranked Florida #3 in the overall best places for jobs and business growth.
• Florida’s K-12 school system moved from 31st in the US to 10th over the past three years according to a recent Education Week ranking.
• This year, US News & World Report named 8 Florida colleges and universities in its list of “America’s Best Colleges.”
• Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News identified Florida as home to one of the world’s most promising emerging biotech clusters.
• Florida ranks 11th among all states for workers with advanced degrees.
• Florida’s location on the globe positions it perfectly for international trade. Last year, Florida recorded the highest trade surplus among the US states, and international business – trade in goods and services plus foreign direct investment – accounted for about one-sixth of the state’s economy.
• Florida is becoming the national leader in the growing alternative energy industry, ranking #2 for the number of new branches, 3rd in unemployment and 5th for number of new startups.
COMMUNITY INFO
• Florida is one of only 9 states in which residents pay no state income tax.
• Florida has no state inheritance tax.
• Florida ranks 47 th among all 50 states in terms of combined state and local tax burden as per the Tax Foundation in Washington, D.C. • Florida is one of only 9 states in which residents pay no state income tax.• Florida has no state inheritance tax.• Florida ranks 47 th among all 50 states in terms of combined state and local tax burden as per the Tax Foundation in Washington, D.C.
SARASOTA
• Sarasota’s most promising assets include sustainability – targeting business involved in sustainable practices; aging – establishing the area as a national leader for businesses that serve an older demographic; design – encouraging businesses and organizations with design expertise ranging from software and IT design, to advertising, film, video, and performing arts studios.
• Now home to the Baltimore Orioles spring training, the Orioles plan to develop a Cal Ripken Youth Baseball Academy. The academy will be one of several youth camps around the country sponsored by Cal Ripken, Jr.
• Lakewood Ranch, among Florida’s largest master-planned communities, houses Sarasota’s largest corporate park and is a major regional employment center.
• New College was ranked Princeton Review’s “Best 371 Colleges” and in “America’s Best Colleges” by US News and World Report and Forbes magazines. In fact, Forbes names New College the nation’s #2 “best buy” and the top public or private college in Florida.
• Sarasota Memorial Hospital was named one of the nation’s top hospitals in a survey conducted by Consumers’ Checkbook, a non-profit research organization, and reported in AARP The Magazine.Sarasota is home to the first national headquarters for US Masters Swimming, a 50,000-member swimming and competitive racing organization.
Becoming a Florida Resident
Owning a residence does not make you a Florida resident. To obtain legal residency, one must first file a sworn Declaration of Domicile with the clerk of the circuit court. In addition, you must show intent to establish a permanent residency in Florida by:
• Designating a Florida mailing address
• Listing your place of employment
• Registering to vote in Florida
• Obtaining a Florida driver’s license
• Having Florida license plates on all your vehicles
• Using your Florida address on your federal income tax forms
To learn more about setting up utilities and Public Services in Sarasota, visit our New Comer's Guide.
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