Florida’s property tax system is on the verge of its biggest shakeup in decades, and the decisions made over the next year could permanently change what homeowners owe and how local services are funded. With multiple constitutional amendments and statutory changes aimed at cutting bills for primary residents, the 2026 landscape may look very different from today’s patchwork of caps and exemptions. Homeowners who understand the proposals now will be better positioned to protect their budgets, their homestead status, and their long‑term plans.
At the center of the debate is a push to dramatically reduce, and potentially eliminate, property taxes on primary homes while rethinking how Florida pays for schools, public safety, and infrastructure. The details are still in motion, but the direction is clear: the state is moving toward deeper relief for homesteads, tighter limits on assessed value growth, and a more complex divide between full‑time residents and everyone else.
How Florida’s property tax system works today
Before weighing the impact of new proposals, homeowners need a clear picture of the current rules that govern their bills. Florida relies heavily on local property taxes, but primary residents already benefit from a network of homestead protections, including assessment caps and targeted exemptions. The Department of Revenue explains that these Property Tax Exemptions and Additional Benefits can reduce the taxable value of a home when the owner qualifies, and that a person who owns and resides on property as a permanent residence is entitled to an exemption.
Those protections sit on top of the broader framework that counties and cities use to set millage rates and fund services. The state’s guidance for Property owners spells out who can claim homestead status, how additional benefits apply to seniors, veterans, and disabled residents, and how exemptions interact with assessed value caps. For now, non‑homestead property, including second homes and many rentals, does not enjoy the same level of protection, which is one reason lawmakers are under pressure to rebalance the system as values rise.
The 201 homestead proposal and the push to cut non‑school taxes
The most sweeping idea on the table is a constitutional amendment tied to House Joint Resolution 201, which targets non‑school property taxes on primary residences. The official bill page for 201 outlines the measure’s path through the legislative process, signaling how central it has become to the 2026 tax debate. A related entry describing HJR 201 labels it “Elimination of Non‑school Property Tax for Homesteads” and notes that it focuses on “Elimination of Non, Property Tax for Homesteads, Property Tax for Homeste,” underscoring that the target is the non‑school portion of the bill for owner‑occupied homes.
Financial analysts describe this as part of the most aggressive property tax reduction package in state history, with HJR 201 singled out among the “Major Property Tax Proposals Heading to November Ballot.” That analysis stresses that eliminating non‑school levies on homesteads would force local governments to rethink revenue streams for local services, since they would lose a major source of funding for everything from sheriff’s offices to parks. For homeowners, the upside is obvious: a potentially dramatic cut in annual bills. The trade‑off is that cities and counties may respond with higher fees, new special assessments, or pressure on the state budget to backfill the gap.
Legislature, Property Tax Relief, and the 2026 session agenda
As the 2026 legislative session approaches, lawmakers are openly framing property tax changes as a central test of their priorities. One detailed preview notes that Property Tax Relief is framed around “Determining the” best way to deliver meaningful cuts while preserving “their Save Our Homes benefits” for existing residents. That tension, between deeper relief and the need to keep long‑standing protections intact, is driving much of the behind‑the‑scenes negotiation.
State leaders have also acknowledged that any major shift in property taxes will require voter approval. Reporting on the early maneuvering in Tallahassee notes that if the Legislature passes a proposal to change the property tax structure, it would require a constitutional amendment and a statewide vote. That same coverage emphasizes that lawmakers are preparing to tackle both property taxes and the state budget at once, a reminder that any cut for homeowners has to be weighed against competing demands like education, transportation, and Congressional Redistricting obligations that also shape the fiscal picture.
Caps, HJR 213, and the governor’s call to eliminate homestead taxes
Even if HJR 201 advances, it is not the only structural change on the horizon. Another measure, HJR 213, would tighten limits on how fast taxable values can rise, especially for primary residences. Legal analysts explain that HJR 213 would limit the growth in assessed value to 3 percent for homestead property over three years and 15 percent for non‑homestead property over three years. Those exact caps, 3 percent and 15 percent, are designed to smooth out spikes in taxable value, giving homeowners more predictability even in hot markets.
At the same time, the governor has set an even more ambitious goal, telling voters that the state should eventually eliminate property taxes “completely” for homesteaded residents. In a detailed account of his remarks, he is quoted as reiterating on a Friday that the goal is to eliminate property taxes “completely” for homesteaded residents, while keeping Florida’s hallmark of having no state income tax. That same reporting notes that lawmakers are reportedly advancing a phased approach to eliminate property taxes on homesteads altogether and that, according to the Florida Policy Institute, the plan is expected to appear as a proposal on the 2026 ballot. For homeowners, that combination of tighter caps and a long‑term elimination target signals that the political momentum is firmly on the side of primary residents, even as questions linger about how the state will replace the lost revenue.
What Homeowners Should Do Now to prepare for 2026
With so much in flux, the most practical step for homeowners is to get their own paperwork and planning in order before any new rules take effect. A detailed advisory on Property taxes reform in Florida 2026 stresses that “Property taxes play a crucial” role in local budgets and lays out a checklist under the heading “What Homeowners Should Do Now.” That guidance urges owners to “Confirm” their homestead exemption status, “Monitor” legislative updates, and “Plan” future purchases with potential reforms in mind, since the timing of a closing or a change in residency could affect eligibility for new caps or exemptions.
Homeowners should also pay attention to how local and state leaders talk about trade‑offs, not just tax cuts. If non‑school property taxes on homesteads are reduced or eliminated, counties may look to fees on services, higher rates for non‑homestead property, or new special districts to close the gap. Advocates for stronger civil protections are already reminding voters that other policy debates will be moving in parallel, with one local lawmaker’s effort to strengthen hate crime laws framed with a simple warning to Stay tuned for updates as that bill moves through the legislative process. The same advice applies to property taxes: stay engaged, read the ballot language carefully, and factor both the immediate savings and the long‑term consequences into any decision about where to live, when to buy, and how to budget for 2026 and beyond.
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