by Mike Colpitts 
Florida property tax elimination gains momentum as proposals grow in the state legislature.
- A series of eight proposals are being considered by Florida lawmakers that could be approved by voters to cut or eliminate property taxes all together, becoming the first state in the U.S. to do so.
- Soaring property taxes, insurance costs and inflation on other goods and services, including groceries have driven the proposals by state lawmakers.
A series of proposals to eliminate Florida state property taxes is gaining momentum in the state legislature. Property taxes have surged following the increase in property values triggered by record low mortgage rates and other issues.
The Covid pandemic spurred an increase in home values after tens of thousands of new residents moved to the state as a result of being able to work remotely. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is pushing for the elimination of property taxes.
There are eight proposals before state lawmakers to be put on a state ballot as early as next year. It would take a 60 percent vote of the electorate to make one of the proposals law.
As DeSantis pushes to let voters decide whether to slash property taxes, House Speaker Daniel Perez rolled out a series of proposed constitutional amendments for next year’s ballot. The proposals seek to cut taxes on homesteaded properties without impacting funding for schools and law enforcement. Another proposal (HJR 205), would exempt people 65 or older from paying non-school taxes on their homes.
The governor is serious about Florida property tax elimination. Another proposal would completely eliminate property taxes as soon as 2027, a measure DeSantis said would have his backing. “We should put the boldest amendment on the ballot that has a chance of getting that 60 percent,” DeSantis said in a post on X.
The proposals are not without there critics. Florida lawmakers have pushed forward eight different pieces of legislation to solve the issue, seven of which may appear on the 2026 general election ballot—including HJR 201.
A joint resolution is the only one that suggests eliminating property taxes altogether, while exempting the portion of property taxes which fund K-12 schools. Property taxes comprise around 46 percent of school funding and eliminating them completely would likely raise an outcry from local governments and members of the public, according to the Florida Education Association.
“Eliminating property taxes on homesteads will destabilize local government funding in rural counties,” said real estate tax attorney Chad Cummings. “These counties will be forced to either slash basic services or dramatically raise sales taxes, which disproportionately burden low-income residents.”
The governor has pledged to come up with his own proposal to cut property taxes.
“Placing more than one property tax measure on the ballot represents an attempt to kill anything on property taxes,” DeSantis said. “It’s a political game, not a serious attempt to get it done for the people.”