Welcome to Florida by DonkeyHotey is licensed under CC BY 2.0

 

With property tax elimination discussion stirring a number of states, the Florida House majority released a number of reform proposals following in-depth committee hearings.  

House Speaker Daniel Perez announced the ambitious set of proposals that could alter how local governments levy property taxes, giving Florida voters the final say at the ballot box next year. 

The suite of constitutional amendments – which would go to a popular vote of the people and require a 60% majority to pass – are aimed at reducing or even eliminating non-school property taxes on primary residencies a.k.a. homestead properties. These changes come in midst of heated debate over whether or not homeowners should be paying property taxes.  

The proposals were shaped by the House Select committee on Property Taxes. If they are passed by the legislature, they would be brought directly to voters for the 2026 ballot.  

House Property Tax Reform Proposal Breakdown:  

HJR 201 (Rep. Kevin Steele) 

  • Eliminates all non-school property taxes on permanent residences 

-If passed, homeowners would no longer pay city and county (non school) property taxes on their permanent residences 

HJR 203 (Rep. Monique Miller) 

  • Phases out non-school permanent residences property taxes over 10 years 

-Every year a new $100,000 exemption is to be added to a homeowners non-school property tax which will eventually eliminate the tax after a decade 

HJR 205 (Rep. Juan Porras) 

  • Exempts senior citizens from non-school property taxes for homesteads 

-Objective is to assist seniors with fixed incomes stay in their homes 

HJR 207 (Rep. Shane Abbot) 

  • Creates a 25% exemption on non-school property taxes for permanent residences 

-This is a more broad tax cut that will be extremely beneficial to first time home owners 

HJR 209 (Rep. Demi Busatta) 

  • Property insurance relief exemption 

-Adds a $100,000 exemption for homeowners who maintain their property insurance 

HJR 211 (Rep. Toby Overdorf) 

  • Expands “save our homes” transferability 

-Allows homeowners to fully transfer their tax savings when buying a new home, in turn preserving benefits they have accumulated over time 

HJR 2013 (Rep. Griff Griffitts) 

  • Slows down the growth on tax assessments over time  

-Cuts off increases on non-school permanent residence values at 3% over three years and 15% over three years for non-permanent residences (Big change from current 3% and 10% per year respectively) 

HJR 215 (Rep. Jon Albert) 

  • Requires a two-thirds vote for raising millage rates 

-Allows newly wed couples to merge their Save Our Home benefits, lowering taxes for newly combined households