{"id":286980,"date":"2026-05-28T02:24:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T02:24:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/286980\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T02:24:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T02:24:31","slug":"florida-gov-desantis-unveils-plan-to-eliminate-property-taxes-for-92-of-homestead-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/286980\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida Gov. DeSantis unveils plan to eliminate property taxes for 92% of homestead homes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Credit: Ron DeSantis\/Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n

Many Florida homeowners would see their property tax bills eliminated or severely cut under a plan released Wednesday by Gov. Ron DeSantis.<\/p>\n

DeSantis is calling for the Legislature to convene Monday to consider his proposal, which if they approve it would appear on the November ballot. At least 60 percent of voters would need to support the measure for it to take effect.<\/p>\n

Under the plan, the current exemption for homestead properties would rise from $50,000 to $250,000 immediately, with a further expansion to be scheduled by the Legislature after the measure is passed that would eventually eliminate taxes completely for those properties.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to get something done. I want to make sure people can go and vote for something, and then see something that\u2019s going to be very, very meaningful in their lives,\u201d DeSantis said while at Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Airport Westshore.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers have already completed one special session this year to pass new congressional districts, and are in the middle of another to complete the budget they failed to finish during the regular session.<\/p>\n

The formal proclamation for the special session and the details of his legislation were not immediately posted.<\/p>\n

Under current law, homeowners can qualify for homestead exemptions from the first $25,000 of assessed value, and from the $50,000 to $75,000 portion of their assessed value for non-school taxes.<\/p>\n

The state also offers \u201cSave Our Homes,\u201d for homeowners, which places a 3 percent cap on annual increases in taxable values of homestead property.<\/p>\n

DeSantis estimated his proposal would initially eliminate property taxes for about 60 percent of currently homestead property owners. When the exemption is raised to $500,000, around 92 percent of homesteaded properties would be tax-free, DeSantis said.<\/p>\n

Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, said in a memo to senators that the governor\u2019s approach \u201cwill provide meaningful relief for Florida families, while protecting businesses from extreme tax increases and safeguarding local funding for public safety, education and our clean water infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n

House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, issued a more succinct statement that implied the governor\u2019s proposal was not presented to legislative leaders before Wednesday\u2019s announcement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Florida House has already passed a proposed constitutional amendment to eliminate homestead property taxes,\u201d Perez said in the statement. \u201cWe are pleased the Governor has finally gotten around to share an actual proposal. We look forward to reviewing it once we have received the language.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The issue of tax cuts has been one of several divides between Perez and DeSantis for over a year.<\/p>\n

Perez initially sought a reduction in the state\u2019s sales tax rate. But as DeSantis increased his calls for lawmakers to enact a property tax proposal, the House introduced a series of property tax proposals in October.<\/p>\n

One House proposal would have phased out the non-school homestead tax by increasing the exemption by $100,000 a year. The state Revenue Estimating Conference projected the impact to local governments at $4.4 billion the first year enacted, growing to $13.3 billion a year.<\/p>\n

The House approved a proposal in February to eliminate most non-school homestead property taxes, but it failed to gain Senate support due to the effect on small counties expected to lose their tax base.<\/p>\n

Florida Association of Counties deputy executive director Cragin Mosteller said the counties are up for the pending special session conversation, but it needs to be \u201cgrounded in real budget math and the long-term needs of Florida\u2019s communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cFloridians want affordability, but eliminating property taxes does not eliminate the cost of infrastructure, emergency response, and other essential local services,\u201d Mosteller replied in an email. \u201cThose costs do not disappear \u2014 they shift somewhere else, often onto businesses, renters, and working families.\u201d<\/p>\n

Under DeSantis\u2019 proposal, the property tax revenue that remains would only be able to pay for schools, law enforcement, fire and other core services. Also, it would set up a trust fund to help mostly rural counties without a large tax base, which has been a concern of Senate leadership.<\/p>\n

DeSantis and Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia have traveled the state the past year criticizing local government spending, noting it has nearly doubled the past seven years.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, characterized the move to limit homesteaded property tax as \u201ca boneheaded move.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAny cut, even though\u00a0it might seem small in the grand scheme of things, could be devastating. There is no plan to make our local\u00a0governments\u00a0whole on the back end,\u201d Driskell told reporters in a conference call. \u201cProperty taxes cover\u00a0the costs of law enforcement and first responders. They make sure that you can visit the library without having to pay a fee. Once you start\u00a0explaining\u00a0these things, you start to\u00a0understand that\u00a0property\u00a0taxes\u00a0are not the\u00a0real enemy here.\u201d<\/p>\n

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This article appears in May 21 \u2013 27, 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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