In this study, a new compound, viz. 4,4-Difluoro-8-(1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane)methyl-1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-2,6-diethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene ( 1 ), and its metal complexes ( 1-Zn , 1-Cu , and  1-Ni ) are synthesized and spectroscopically characterized (UV-Vis, luminescence-fluorescence, NMR, FTIR, and MS). Anion sensing properties of compound  1 and its metal complexes ( 1-Zn , 1-Ni  and 1-Cu ) are tested in the presence of various anionic species in acetonitrile media. Fluorescence measurements indicated that,  1-Ni  and 1-Cu  do not have any selectivity towards various anions except weak interactions. On the other hand 1-Zn shows good response and selectivity toward acetate ion based on fluorescence enhancement. In addition, JOB studies demonstrate that  the interaction between  1-Zn and acetate ion were with a ratio of 1:2 and limit of detection (LOD) of  1-Zn was calculated as 4.76x10 -6 M for acetate ion detection. Moreover,  1-Zn provides a certain change in color in the presence of acetate. The results demonstrate that  1-Zn can be utilized for fluorogenic and naked eye detection of acetate anion.