When someone owns Florida property and makes it his or her permanent residence or the permanent residence of his or her dependent, the property owner may be eligible to receive a homestead exemption up to $50,000. The first $25,000 applies to all property taxes, including school district taxes. The additional exemption up to $25,000 applies to the assessed value between $50,000 and $75,000 and only to non-school taxes. (see section 196.031, Florida Statutes)
To be eligible, you must be a full time resident as of January 1st of the year you file, with the filing deadline being March 1st. Additional advantages for those who file include eligibility for the Florida Save our Homes assessment limits as well as the highly valuable portability transfer benefit when selling then buying another Florida personal residence.
It is relatively easy to file for the exemption, but you should be prepared to answer a number of questions before you get started. To be prepared to file, make sure to have your FL drivers licence # handy, as well the social security number for you and your spouse. Also, the form will ask for your voter registration ID number and date of registration, too. The entire process should take you about 20 minutes.
While SSN's and your drivers licence should be easy enough to locate at home, your voter registration information can easily be located online. I've located all the online resources for you below to successfully complete your Florida homestead exemption online.
