Florida Property Tax · Deadline Tool

The Florida Homestead Deadline Checker.

Florida's proposed homestead exemption rises to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. To capture it, you generally need to establish primary Florida residency by December 31, 2026. Establish residency one day later and reporting on the legislative summary says you wait five years for the full benefit. Enter your situation and see exactly where your date lands.

Important: This is a proposed constitutional amendment (HJR 1F) on the November 3, 2026 ballot. It needs 60 percent approval to take effect, and the ballot language faces a pending lawsuit. Treat the date below as planning information, not a guarantee.
Time to the residency deadline until December 31, 2026 (if the amendment passes)
Your situation
The homestead exemption applies only to your primary residence.
The month you become a Florida resident and file for homestead. Existing residents can leave this at any past or current date.
Used only to estimate the annual tax difference. Leave it for the timeline alone.
The expanded exemption applies to non-school taxes only. Florida non-school millage commonly runs roughly 8 to 13 mills. Check your exact rate on your county property tax page and adjust.
On track
You are positioned for the full expanded exemption.
Estimated annual tax difference
The difference in annual non-school property tax between qualifying for the full $250,000 exemption and holding only the $50,000 exemption, at your inputs.
Your homestead exemption by year
YearYour exemption
What to confirm
Homestead filing in Florida runs through your county property appraiser, with a standard application deadline of March 1 for the tax year. Establishing residency means making Florida your permanent home (drivers license, voter registration, and a declaration of domicile help prove it). See your county page on the Florida property tax hub and the plain English amendment page.

One date decides whether you get the big exemption or wait five years.

Florida lawmakers placed a property tax amendment on the November 3, 2026 ballot. If voters approve it, the homestead exemption rises from today's $50,000 to $150,000 on January 1, 2027, and to $250,000 on January 1, 2028, for owners who already hold a Florida homestead or who establish residency on or before December 31, 2026 (GrayRobinson summary of HJR 1F; Fox Business).

The catch is for people who arrive later. Reporting on the legislative summary indicates that a homeowner who establishes Florida residency after December 31, 2026 receives only the existing $50,000 exemption for their first five years, and qualifies for the full expanded exemption after five years of residency (Live South Florida Realty on HJR 1F). So a buyer who establishes residency and files homestead by the end of 2026 gets $150,000 exempt in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. A buyer who files on January 1, 2027 or later could wait until roughly 2032 for the same break. The home is the same. The date is the difference.

How this tool reads your situation.

You tell it where you stand and when you will establish residency and file homestead. If that date is on or before December 31, 2026, it places you on the existing-resident track and applies the $150,000 and $250,000 schedule. If it is January 1, 2027 or later, it places you on the five-year waiting track, holds you at $50,000, and shows the year the full exemption would begin. The optional value and millage inputs estimate the annual non-school tax difference between the two tracks, so you can see the size of what is at stake. The expanded exemption applies to non-school taxes, which is why the tool asks for your non-school millage rather than your full rate.

Why the dollar figure is an estimate, not a bill.

Your real savings depend on your county's exact non-school millage, your assessed value, and the final rules if the amendment passes. The tool uses the rate you enter against the exemption increase, which is the honest way to size it without pretending to know your county to the dollar. Pull your exact non-school millage from your county property tax page, and use the Save Our Homes estimator and the true cost of ownership calculator to see the full monthly picture.

This is not settled law.

The expanded exemption is a proposed amendment. It requires 60 percent voter approval on November 3, 2026, and the ballot summary language drew a lawsuit in June 2026 that was pending as of this writing (WUSF). Plan around the deadline if it matters to you, but do not treat the benefit as guaranteed. Confirm the residency rules and the homestead filing process with your county property appraiser and a tax professional before making a move decision.

Common questions.

What is the Florida homestead exemption deadline for 2026?
Under the proposed amendment, you generally must establish primary Florida residency on or before December 31, 2026 to receive the expanded exemption when it takes effect. Establish residency later and you hold only the $50,000 exemption for five years before qualifying for the full $250,000. The expanded exemption applies only if voters approve the amendment on November 3, 2026.
How much will the exemption be in 2027 and 2028?
If the amendment passes, the homestead exemption rises from $50,000 to $150,000 on January 1, 2027, and to $250,000 on January 1, 2028, for existing residents and those who establish residency by December 31, 2026. It applies to non-school property taxes.
What if I move to Florida in 2027 or later?
Reporting on the legislative summary says you receive only the existing $50,000 exemption for your first five years of residency, then become eligible for the full expanded exemption. That can push a 2027 buyer out to roughly 2032 for the same benefit an existing resident gets in 2028. Verify the exact waiting period with your county property appraiser, as the figure should be confirmed against the final amendment.
Does this help second homes or rentals?
No. The homestead exemption applies only to a primary residence. The same amendment does separately propose cutting the annual assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10 percent to 5 percent starting in 2027. If you own a second home or rental, use the non-homestead cap calculator instead.

Disclaimer: This tool is an educational estimate based on the inputs you provide and on public reporting of the proposed amendment (HJR 1F), which is contingent on voter approval on November 3, 2026. It is not tax or legal advice, and the residency cutoff and five-year waiting period should be confirmed against the final amendment text and with your county property appraiser. The annual tax difference uses the non-school millage you enter and does not reflect your actual bill. Momentum Realty is a licensed real estate brokerage, not a tax advisor or law firm.

Trying to time a Florida move around the homestead deadline?

Talk to Jon or Brittany. We will walk through your timeline, the real tax math on the specific home, and whether closing before year end actually pays off for your situation.

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