{"id":53054,"date":"2025-01-02T16:06:56","date_gmt":"2025-01-02T21:06:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=53054"},"modified":"2025-01-02T16:07:04","modified_gmt":"2025-01-02T21:07:04","slug":"florida-homeowners-urged-to-apply-for-homestead-exemption-by-march-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2025\/01\/02\/florida-homeowners-urged-to-apply-for-homestead-exemption-by-march-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida homeowners urged to apply for homestead exemption by March 1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The first of the year opens doors for homeowners in Florida to get some significant savings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Homestead exemption helps Floridians save money on their property taxes every year and Wednesday is the first day you can apply to enroll.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Homeowners have until March 1 to apply. Homestead exemption provides up to $50,000 in value savings off of your property tax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are certain groups of homeowners that could receive additional benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Let’s say your home is assessed at a value of $300,000, you would get $50,000 in savings,” says Santa Rosa County property appraiser Greg Brown. “You would only pay taxes on $250,000 in value of that property, times the millage rate.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brown says it’s usually around a $600 a year in savings for homeowners. He says there are also added benefits, like the assessed value of your property cannot go up by more than 3% or the consumer price index depending on which ever is greater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“So if you’re paying taxes on a $250,000, next year you’re assessed value is only going to go up by 3%, instead of what the market may go up to 5, 10% potentially.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Florida homeowners who apply for homestead exemption must provide evidence of ownership, your social security number and date of birth, as well as proof of Florida residency to apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brown says one of the biggest things people need to do is make sure your permanent residence is the same address that’s on your driver’s license.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The first step is making the property your primary residence as of Jan. 1, so you have to be in the house, living there as of Jan. 1 of the year in which you file,” says Brown. “If you move on Jan. 10, let’s say, you’re not eligible to file for that homestead exemption until the following year.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are additional exemption benefits for certain groups of the population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Active duty military who currently receive homestead exemption and military orders transferring them to another duty station out of the area, may rent or lease their homestead property without abandoning their claim to homestead exemption benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deployed service members could also get benefits. The exemption provides a percentage reduction based on the number of days of deployment. You must provide your deployment orders, final travel voucher and verification of operation name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“If you’re out the country or on deployment for 180 days, you receive basically a 50% savings off of your property taxes,” Brown says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s vital that you inform them of your separation from active-duty military service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“If you move back to your homesteaded property, there are additional exemptions for veterans which you may be eligible to apply, such as Veteran’s Partial Disability and Veteran’s Total Disability,” according to “If you do not move back to your homesteaded property upon separation from service, you will no longer be eligible for homestead exemption.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DISABLED VETERANS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brown says Florida veterans who are residents and have service-connected disabilities of at least 10% or more may be eligible for benefits, too, reducing your assess value by up to $5,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“And if there’s 100% disability, they receive 100% exemption, which I think speaks to the service they provided to our country,” says Brown. “It’s certainly something the state of Florida provides back to them for their great service.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional exemptions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n