The exemption for 2026
If you own the home and it is your permanent residence on January 1, you can claim homestead. The exemption has two parts:
- $25,000 off the assessed value for every tax, including school taxes.
- A second exemption of up to $26,411 for non-school taxes only, applied to the value between $50,000 and $76,411. This amount is now adjusted for inflation each year.
A home assessed at $76,411 or more gets the full $51,411 off non-school taxes and $25,000 off school taxes. Apply with your county property appraiser by March 1.
Save Our Homes
Once you have homestead, the assessed value can rise by no more than 3% a year or the change in the consumer price index, whichever is lower. For 2026 the cap was 2.7%. If the market rises faster, the gap between market value and assessed value grows every year, and you pay tax only on the lower number.
Without homestead, a 10% cap applies to non-school taxes only. School taxes are charged on the full market value.
What resets it
- Selling or buying: the new owner's assessment resets to market value the next January 1.
- Renting the home out or moving your permanent residence elsewhere.
- Major additions, which are added to the assessment at market value.
You can carry up to $500,000 of the Save Our Homes difference to a new Florida homestead through portability.
Amendment 3 on the November 3, 2026 ballot
Amendment 3 would raise the non-school homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, and lower the non-homestead cap to 5%. It needs 60% of the vote. This calculator uses the law in force today. To see your full bill under both scenarios, use the Florida property tax calculator on this site.
Questions
Can I get homestead on a second home?
No. Homestead applies only to your permanent residence, and only one per family unit.
When do I see the savings?
On the first November tax bill after January 1 of the year you qualify and apply. If you buy in June 2026 and move in, you apply by March 1, 2027 for the 2027 bill.
Does homestead lower school taxes?
Only by the first $25,000. The second exemption of up to $26,411 does not apply to school taxes.
