Florida Bond of Citrus Fruit Dealer to Guarantee Payment of Citrus Excise Assessments

The Florida Bond of Citrus Fruit Dealer to Guarantee Payment of Citrus Excise Assessments is required by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Fruit and Vegetables. The bond is required to help account for all such Citrus Excise Taxes in the state of Florida.

How can I get a Citrus Fruit Dealer’s License?

A citrus fruit dealer license is required for anyone who attempts to make profit off of Florida citrus (other than by selling FL citrus directly to the consumer and not for resale). Dealers of non-citrus fruits have a separate license, a Florida Agricultural Products Dealer License.

In addition to the Florida Citrus Fruit Dealer’s License Application, the applicant must submit the following to the Florida Department of Citrus:

• A $25 licensing fee
• A Florida Citrus Fruit Dealer’s Bond
• A Florida Assessment Fee Bond
• A Florida Inspection Fee Bond
• A background check
• References
• Company information
• Work history

For more information regarding this licensing process, please visit the FDACS website as well as the Florida Department of Citrus’ website.

What are the requirements of a Florida Bond of Citrus Fruit Dealer to Guarantee Payment of Citrus Excise Assessments?

The bond amount for this particular bond will depend on your excise taxes. Follow these steps to calculate your bond amount:

1. Multiply the number of boxes utilized in the prior season or estimated utilization during the current season, whichever is greater, times the current tax rate for each variety to determine the total estimated tax.
2. Divide the total estimated tax by the number of weeks for which tax returns were required to be filed during the previous season to determine the estimated weekly tax due.
3. Multiply the estimated weekly tax due times two to determine the amount of bond required.

This bond also has a set effective and renewal date of August 1st.

You can read more about assessment calculations on the FL Department of Citrus’ website.

Where can I get a Florida Bond of Citrus Fruit Dealer to Guarantee Payment of Citrus Excise Assessments?

To obtain one or more of the bonds required for citrus fruit dealers, simply fill out our free online application (please submit a separate application for each bond type). Within one business day of your submission, one of our licensed agents will contact you with a firm quote for the price to obtain your bond(s). Once any necessary paperwork is signed and your premium payment is processed, your agent will ship your bond(s) via USPS Priority Mail (overnight shipping options are also available).

What happens at renewal?

As this bond has a set expiration date of July 31st, you will need to renew your bond if you want to maintain your license. Approximately two months prior to this expiration, our renewal agents will send you an invoice to renew your bond. Once the renewal payment is processed we will send you either a Continuation Certificate or a Renewal Bond (same bond but with new dates) to submit to the state.

Surety Solutions Insurance Services, Inc. (Surety1) has been writing bonds in Florida since 2003. Our surety experts put time and attention into every bond we ship out, so you can be assured all of your bonding needs will be met quickly and reliably. This level of service has earned us an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau. Licensed in all 50 states.