Florida has no state income tax — but property taxes do the heavy lifting. The system is generous to permanent residents and noticeably less so to second-home buyers. Here is what actually matters.
How a Florida tax bill is built
Your bill is assessed value × millage rate ÷ 1,000. The county property appraiser sets the assessed value each January 1. Millage is the combined rate from your school board, county, city (if any), and special districts. Most Florida counties land between 15 and 22 mills.
Homestead Exemption (up to $50,000)
If the home is your permanent residence on January 1, you can shave up to $50,000 off your assessed value for tax purposes. The deadline to file with your county property appraiser is March 1. You only file once — it renews automatically as long as you keep living there.
Save Our Homes (the 3% cap)
Once Homestead is on the property, the assessed value can only increase by the lesser of 3% or CPIper year, regardless of what market value does. This is why a neighbor who bought in 2012 pays a fraction of what a 2026 buyer pays for an identical house. Plan for a meaningful tax reset the year after you close.
Portability — keep your tax basis when you move
Sold a homesteaded Florida home? You have up to three tax years to buy another and transfer up to $500,000 of your accumulated Save Our Homes savings to the new property. Done right, this can be the single most valuable line item on a Florida move.
Second homes, snowbirds and investors
Non-homesteaded properties don't get the $50,000 exemption and don't get Save Our Homes. They do get a 10% annual cap on assessed-value increases (excluding school taxes). Budget the full non-homestead bill from day one — the listing's prior-year taxes are almost always misleading if the seller was homesteaded.
Don't forget CDDs and special assessments
Many newer master-planned communities — especially in SouthShore Hillsborough, Lakewood Ranch, and the Orlando suburbs — carry a Community Development District (CDD) fee on top of ad-valorem taxes. It's not technically a tax, but it shows up on your annual bill. Always ask for the all-in number.
Detail by county
Statewide rules are the same everywhere. Millage rates, appraiser portals, and local quirks are not. Pick your county for specifics:
Frequently asked
- What is the Homestead Exemption in Florida?
- If the home is your permanent primary residence as of January 1, you can apply for up to $50,000 off your assessed value for property tax purposes. The first $25,000 applies to all taxes; the second $25,000 applies to non-school taxes on the portion of value between $50,000 and $75,000.
- What is Save Our Homes (SOH)?
- Once Homestead is granted, the assessed value of your home can only rise by the lesser of 3% or CPI per year, regardless of how much market value increases. This is the single biggest reason long-time Florida homeowners pay so much less than new buyers next door.
- What is portability?
- When you sell a homesteaded property and buy another Florida home within three tax years, you can transfer up to $500,000 of your accumulated Save Our Homes savings to the new home — protecting your tax basis even when you upsize.
- Do snowbirds and second-home buyers get Homestead?
- No. Homestead requires Florida to be your permanent residence. Non-homestead properties still get a 10% cap on annual assessed value increases (excluding school taxes), but no $50,000 exemption and no SOH protection.
- When is the deadline to file Homestead?
- March 1 of the tax year. You only file once — it renews automatically as long as you continue to live there.
This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Confirm exemptions and deadlines with your county property appraiser before you rely on them.