05/29/2026
📍 Florida Property Taxes — What Buyers Need to Know (Updated May 29, 2026)
Big news for Florida homeowners: Governor Ron DeSantis just proposed a major increase to the homestead exemption — from $50,000 to $250,000.
What does that mean in simple terms?
➡️ Many primary homeowners could see HUGE reductions in property taxes.
➡️ Some homeowners may pay little to no property taxes at all.
➡️ This applies ONLY to primary residences (homesteaded homes), not rentals, vacation homes, or commercial properties.
For example:
A Tampa Bay home around $425,000 currently pays close to $500/month in property taxes. Under the new proposal, that number could drop significantly.
A few important things to know:
🔹 This is NOT law yet.
🔹 The proposal goes to a Special Session June 1–3.
🔹 It needs approval from both lawmakers and Florida voters.
🔹 New Florida residents after Jan. 1, 2027 may have to wait up to 5 years to qualify.
There’s also a lot of misinformation online right now, so here are the facts:
❌ Sales tax is NOT being increased.
❌ There is NO new tax on renters.
❌ Florida’s state sales tax remains at 6%.
Supporters say property taxes have nearly doubled since 2019, while opponents worry smaller cities could struggle to fund services like police and fire departments.
This is one of the biggest property tax conversations Florida has had in years — and it could have a major impact on future homeownership costs.
