Florida Homestead Exemption + Save Our Homes: The Two Programs, Explained Separately

Updated August 2026

Florida's homestead exemption and its Save Our Homes cap are two different things that get conflated constantly. The exemption reduces your taxable value by a fixed amount; Save Our Homes separately limits how fast that value can grow each year.

Every Florida homeowner who makes the property their permanent residence gets the base exemption automatically upon applying, no age or income test. Save Our Homes then caps future assessed value growth at 3% or the CPI, whichever is lower, for as long as the exemption stays in place, which is why long-time Florida owners often have assessed values well below current market value.

Florida's Property Tax Relief Programs

Homestead Exemption

What it does: First $25,000 of assessed value exempt from all property taxes including schools. A second tier exempts up to another ~$25,000 of value between $50,000-$75,000, but only from non-school taxes.

Who qualifies: Any owner-occupant who makes the home their permanent residence (or a qualifying dependent’s) as of January 1. No age or income test for the base exemption (separate additional exemptions exist for seniors 65+ with an income limit under a different statute).

Deadline and form: March 1 (late filing possible until early September for good cause) (Form DR-501). Citation: Fla. Stat. §§ 196.031, 196.011.

Save Our Homes Assessment Cap

What it does: Caps annual growth in assessed value (not market value) at the lesser of 3% or the CPI change, for as long as the homestead exemption remains in place. Resets to current market value when the property is sold.

Who qualifies: Automatic once the Homestead Exemption is granted.

Deadline and form: N/A, automatic (N/A). Citation: Fla. Stat. § 193.155; Fla. Const. Art. VII § 4(c).

An exemption or credit lowers your bill only after the assessed value is set. If that value is too high to begin with, you are overpaying on everything above it regardless of which relief programs you claim. Nobody checks the underlying value unless you do.

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How to Apply

Contact your county assessor's (or, where noted above, your state revenue department's) office for the current application form
Gather proof of ownership, occupancy, and, for income-tested programs, your prior-year income documentation
File before the deadline listed above, most jurisdictions do not accept late applications for that tax year
Confirm the relief shows up on your next assessment notice or tax bill

The Bottom Line

If you're a recent Florida buyer, your Save Our Homes benefit is minimal since your assessed value starts at your purchase price. The gap between assessed and market value grows over years of ownership, it isn't something you can accelerate.

Note: Program names, dollar figures, and income limits above are current as of August 2026 and are set or adjusted by the state legislature or department of revenue, not by AppealDesk. Some figures adjust annually, confirm the current-year number with your county or state before applying. AppealDesk helps homeowners identify available relief programs and appeal overassessments.

Most homeowners stack these programs on top of whatever value the assessor assigned and never question the value itself. It came from a mass-appraisal model, not an individual review of your home. It is worth checking once.

Check the value under your exemption

Enter your address to pull your county record free. If it looks too high, your $49 packet gives you everything to challenge it.