A historic and highly debated restructuring of the Sunshine State’s tax landscape has officially been set in motion. On May 27, 2026, Governor Ron DeSantis formally announced a special legislative session to consider the “Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes” initiative. The cornerstone of this sweeping economic proposal is an aggressive Florida homestead exemption expansion designed to drastically lower, and eventually completely eliminate, property taxes for the vast majority of primary homeowners across the state.
The Governor has summoned lawmakers back to Tallahassee for a dedicated special session. If the draft resolution secures the necessary supermajority support from state legislators, the historic tax overhaul will be placed directly on the upcoming November ballot as a proposed constitutional amendment.
The Phased “Glide Path” to Tax Elimination
The newly unveiled Florida homestead exemption expansion moves away from an immediate, single-year tax elimination, opting instead for a strategic, multi-year phase-in plan. Under the guidelines presented by the executive office, the baseline homestead exemption for primary residents would immediately jump from the current $50,000 threshold up to a substantial $250,000 baseline.
Following this immediate relief layer, the Florida Legislature would be constitutionally mandated to establish a structured, long-term schedule to expand the exemption ceiling to $500,000.
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Immediate Relief: Shifting the baseline exemption upward to eliminate property tax obligations entirely for an estimated 60% of current homestead property owners.
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The 92% Benchmark: Once the full $500,000 exemption cap is actively implemented, approximately 92% of all eligible primary residences in Florida would effectively become completely tax-free.
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Protecting Small Businesses: To provide concurrent relief to the commercial sector, the amendment would cut the maximum annual property tax assessment increase cap on small businesses in half, dropping it from 10% down to 5%.
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Preventing “Tax Tourism”: To ensure the benefits are preserved for dedicated Floridians, the policy introduces a strict five-year residency requirement for any new resident moving to the state after January 1, 2027, before they can qualify for the expanded exemption tiers.
Safeguarding Budgets and Core Public Services
While the prospect of zeroing out residential property tax bills has generated massive enthusiasm among full-time residents, the scale of the Florida homestead exemption expansion has drawn urgent warnings from municipal leaders, school boards, and policy analysts. Property taxes serve as the primary financial lifeblood for local governments, funding essential day-to-day operations.
To bridge this massive fiscal gap and protect municipal services, the Governor’s proposal introduces strict spending mandates. Local governments would be legally required to prioritize their remaining property tax revenues—which are heavily generated by commercial properties, secondary vacation homes, and short-term Airbnbs—solely to fund core public safety, public education, infrastructure maintenance, and natural resource preservation.
Furthermore, to alleviate the concerns of Senate leadership regarding small rural counties that lack a diverse commercial tax base, the state plan will establish a dedicated structural trust fund. This fund will utilize a portion of Florida’s historic state budget surplus to directly backfill and insulate vulnerable rural municipalities, ensuring essential neighborhood services are not compromised.
The High Hurdle: Securing the 60% Supermajority
Because property taxes are deeply woven into the state constitution, transforming this proposal into active law requires navigating a rigorous, two-step legislative and public approval process through the remainder of the year.
First, the joint resolution must achieve a strict three-fifths (60%) supermajority vote in both the Florida House and Senate during the upcoming special session. While House Speaker Daniel Perez noted that the House previously approved a similar tax-cut blueprint, Senate President Ben Albritton has voiced cautious optimism, stating the current phased template balances meaningful family relief while safeguarding critical clean water and public safety infrastructure.
If the legislature successfully passes the language before the Secretary of State’s structural certification deadline in late August, the Florida homestead exemption expansion will face its final test on November 3, 2026. To officially amend the constitution, the measure will require a 60% “yes” vote from Florida electors—an incredibly high political benchmark in a historically split state. If approved by the public, the initial phase of the historic tax reduction is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027, fundamentally redefining real estate asset preservation near the Gulf and across the state.
Legislative Reference
“Property tax revenue collected by local governments has nearly doubled in the past seven years and is expected to reach $83 billion by 2032. Florida homeowners need relief, and now is the time to enact historic reform and save the home of every Floridian.” — Official Legislative Executive Briefing
For real-time updates regarding the special session schedules, complete legislative text layouts, or to track public testimony dates, residents can review updates on the Online Sunshine Florida Legislature Portal.
