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Will Florida do away with property taxes ?
Executive Summary
Florida has active proposals and political momentum to sharply reduce or exempt many property taxes, but there is no enacted, immediate statewide abolition of all property taxes; any constitutional change would require legislative supermajorities and at least 60% voter approval. Multiple bills and resolutions—centered on homestead exemptions, levy caps, rebates, and a potential constitutional amendment for the 2026 ballot—are advancing in the legislature and are backed by Governor Ron DeSantis, yet the proposals vary in scope, timing, and projected fiscal impacts and lack a single, agreed replacement revenue plan [1] [2] [3].
1. The Bold Claim on the Table: Abolish Property Taxes — What’s Actually Proposed?
Legislative text and public statements show proposals aimed at exempting homestead property from most ad valorem taxes or dramatically reducing local property levies, but not an immediate, blanket elimination of every property tax statewide without further action. House Joint Resolution HJR 201 has been filed proposing a constitutional amendment to exempt homestead property from all ad valorem taxation except school district levies, initiating a multi-step process requiring a three-fifths legislative majority and a 60% voter approval to take effect [1] [4]. Parallel efforts include multiple bills that would expand homestead exemptions, cap assessment growth, or create direct rebates; these are described across legislative summaries and governor’s proposals as aiming for the 2026 ballot or implementation starting in 2027, but they are distinct in mechanism and coverage [5] [6].
2. Political Momentum: A Governor’s Push and a Legislative Agenda Driving the Conversation
Governor DeSantis has publicly supported dramatic property tax relief and has promoted proposals including a $1,000 homeowner rebate as a near-term measure and broader constitutional change as the long-term objective; executive advocacy has catalyzed multiple committee actions and ballot-planning efforts [2] [7]. The House has launched a special committee to study property tax repeal pathways and to prepare recommendations for a possible 2026 ballot proposal, signaling institutional alignment behind exploring deep cuts or exemptions [3]. Media coverage and bill filings document a concentrated push, but the legislative path remains procedurally demanding: passing an amendment requires supermajorities and then voter ratification, leaving the outcome uncertain despite high-profile support [1].
3. Fiscal Reality Check: How Much Revenue Would Be Lost and Who Would Be Affected?
Independent breakdowns and legislative analyses estimate substantial revenue losses for local governments and schools if broad homestead exemptions or levy eliminations proceed; figures cited include annual revenue reductions ranging from several billion to upwards of $18.5 billion, depending on the scope of exemptions and whether school levies are preserved [8] [9]. Critics warn that cutting property tax revenue without credible replacement sources would force localities to reduce essential services, impair schools, or shift burdens to other taxes or fees; proponents argue that caps, rebates, or retained school levies could blunt harm, but those mitigations alter the scale of “abolition” being proposed [9] [5].
4. Competing Designs: Exemptions, Rebates, Caps — Not All Cuts Are the Same
The legislative package under discussion contains diverse mechanisms: targeted homestead exemptions (which leave non-homestead and commercial property taxed), statewide rebates that provide limited annual relief, caps on assessment growth to slow tax increases, and ambitious constitutional amendments to excise most homestead ad valorem levies. These approaches yield very different fiscal and distributional outcomes: homestead exemptions primarily benefit owner-occupied residences, rebates offer temporary relief to many homeowners without structural change, and caps reduce growth without eliminating the tax base—each alters who pays and how local budgets adjust [5] [6] [4].
5. Timeframe and Likely Outcomes: What to Expect Next
Given procedural requirements—committee referral, floor votes requiring supermajorities, and a voter referendum threshold of 60%—a complete, unconditional end to property taxes across Florida in the immediate term is unlikely. The realistic near-term outcomes are a mix of incremental relief measures (rebates, increased exemptions) and a ballot question in 2026 that could enact constitutional limits or exemptions if voters approve them. The precise scope of any successful measure will determine fiscal trade-offs, and current analyses stress that the absence of a clear revenue-replacement plan is the central unresolved issue shaping the political and policy debate [1] [3] [2].