Travis Bunn
Founder, AppealDesk · Published February 26, 2026
How Much Can Property Taxes Increase in Florida? (2026 Guide)
Updated July 2026 · 10 min read
In Florida, assessment increases are capped at 3% or the Consumer Price Index (whichever is lower) for homesteaded properties, and 10% annually for non-homestead properties. For the 2026 tax year, the homestead cap is 2.7%, because CPI came in below the 3% ceiling. These caps protect Florida homeowners from runaway assessment increases through the Save Our Homes amendment. But caps on assessed value don't cap your tax bill, and the gap between the two catches many homeowners off guard.
Quick Answer
- Homestead properties: 3% or CPI cap (whichever is lower) on assessed value. The 2026 cap is 2.7%; the 2025 cap was 2.9%
- Non-homestead properties: 10% annual cap on assessed value (does not apply to school levies)
- Tax rates: No cap. Counties, cities, and school boards set rates independently
- 2026 homestead exemption: $51,411 total ($25,000 plus an inflation-adjusted $26,411 second exemption)
- Save Our Homes benefit: Can transfer up to $500,000 in savings when you move
- Recapture rule: Assessment jumps to full market value when sold
Most homeowners never challenge their assessment, usually because nobody tells them they can or shows them how. That gap is the whole reason AppealDesk exists: see what your county has your home on record at, free, and if the number looks wrong we build the case for $49.
The 3% Homestead Cap (Save Our Homes)
Florida's Save Our Homes (SOH) amendment, passed in 1992 and codified in Article VII, Section 4 of the Florida Constitution, limits annual assessment increases on homestead property to 3% or the Consumer Price Index (CPI), whichever is lower. The Florida Department of Revenue sets the exact percentage each year: the cap is 2.7% for 2026 and was 2.9% for 2025. This creates a “capped value” that can be significantly lower than market value in hot real estate markets.
For example, if your home's assessed value was $300,000 last year, the 2026 cap of 2.7% means your assessed value can only increase to $308,100 this year, even if similar homes are selling for $400,000. Over time, this gap compounds dramatically.
Save Our Homes in Action: 10-Year Example
Take a hypothetical home purchased at $250,000 in 2016 whose market value doubled to $500,000 by 2026, which many Florida markets matched or beat over that stretch:
- Market value (2026): $500,000
- SOH capped value (2026): at most ~$335,979, even if the cap hit its full 3% every single year. The actual annual caps ran lower in most years (2.9% in 2025, 2.7% in 2026), so the real capped value would be lower still
- SOH benefit: roughly $164,000 or more in untaxed value
- Annual tax savings: roughly $2,800 at an illustrative combined millage of 17 mills ($17 of tax per $1,000 of taxable value; your actual millage depends on your county, city, school board, and districts)
The faster your market appreciates, the larger the gap between market value and capped value grows, because the assessed value can never climb faster than the annual cap.
The Non-Homestead 10% Cap
Investment properties, vacation homes, and commercial properties face a more generous 10% annual cap on assessment increases. This applies to all non-homestead properties regardless of value, with one important carve-out: the 10% cap does not apply to school district levies, which are assessed against the full just value. While 10% per year sounds generous, it provides meaningful protection in years when market values spike by 20-30%.
What the Caps Don't Protect Against
The most common misconception is that a 3% assessment cap means a 3% tax bill cap. That's not how it works. Your tax bill = assessed value × millage rate. The caps only limit one side of that equation.
- Millage rate increases: Your county commission, city council, school board, and special districts each set their own millage rates independently. If they raise rates, your bill goes up even with a capped assessment.
- New special assessments: Fire districts, water management districts, and community development districts (CDDs) can add assessments that aren't covered by SOH.
- Loss of exemptions: If you lose your homestead exemption (e.g., renting the property, moving out), the assessed value jumps to market value immediately.
- New construction: Adding a pool, expanding the house, or enclosing a patio adds value at full market rate on top of the capped value.
Is There a Cap on Property Tax Increases in Florida?
There is a cap on assessment increases, and there is no cap on the tax bill itself. Homesteaded property is limited to the lesser of 3% or CPI each year, which works out to 2.7% for 2026 and was 2.9% for 2025. Non-homestead property is limited to 10% a year, except for school district levies, which are figured on full just value with no cap at all.
Nothing in the Florida Constitution caps what your county commission, city council, school board, or special districts can adopt as a millage rate, and nothing caps the total dollar amount of your bill. That is the practical answer to “how much can property taxes increase in Florida”: your assessed value is limited, your rate is not, and the two multiply.
Are Property Taxes Going Up in 2026?
For most homesteaded owners, the assessed value side of the equation is rising modestly in 2026: the Save Our Homes cap is 2.7% this year (down from 2.9% in 2025), because CPI came in below the 3% ceiling. Whether your actual bill goes up depends on what your county, city, school board, and special districts do with millage rates, and those have no cap.
Working in the other direction, two exemption changes are putting downward pressure on homesteaded bills:
- Amendment 5 (approved November 2024): The second $25,000 slice of the homestead exemption now adjusts upward with inflation every January 1. For 2026 it stands at $26,411, bringing the total homestead exemption to $51,411 for non-school taxes. School taxes still get only the first $25,000.
- A $250,000 exemption on the November 2026 ballot: In a June 2, 2026 special session, the Legislature passed HJR 1F (House 75-26, Senate 30-9), placing a proposed constitutional amendment on the November 3, 2026 ballot. It would create a $250,000 homestead exemption from non-school ad valorem taxes, reported as phasing in at $150,000 in 2027 and rising to $250,000 in 2028, indexed to inflation from 2029. It needs 60% voter approval to pass.
Neither change touches your assessed value. If your assessment is too high, exemptions only shrink the error, they don't correct it. A lower assessment plus the exemptions is where the real savings stack.
The Florida Homestead Exemption in 2026
The homestead exemption works alongside the Save Our Homes cap and is worth understanding on its own. For 2026, a qualifying homestead gets two exemptions:
- First $25,000: Applies to all property taxes, including school district levies. This amount is fixed and does not adjust for inflation.
- Second exemption, $26,411 in 2026: Applies to the slice of assessed value above $50,000, and only to non-school taxes. Under Amendment 5, this exemption is indexed to CPI each January 1, which is why it now exceeds the $25,000 it started at.
To qualify, the home must be your permanent Florida residence as of January 1, and you must file with your county property appraiser by March 1. Filing also starts your Save Our Homes cap, so a missed deadline costs you twice.
Portability: Taking Your Savings With You
Florida allows homeowners to transfer up to $500,000 of their Save Our Homes benefit to a new home anywhere in the state. This “portability” helps long-time residents afford to move without losing years of accumulated tax savings.
How Portability Math Works
If your old home had a market value of $400,000 and a capped value of $300,000, your SOH benefit is $100,000. When you buy a new home:
- Same or higher value: The full $100,000 benefit transfers. A $500,000 new home starts with an assessed value of $400,000.
- Lower value: The benefit is prorated. A $300,000 new home gets 75% of the benefit ($75,000), starting at $225,000 assessed.
Portability Deadline Warning
You must establish a new homestead within 3 tax years of abandoning the old one. Miss this window and the SOH benefit is lost permanently. File the portability application (Form DR-501T) with your new county's property appraiser.
The Recapture Problem
When you sell your Florida home, the buyer faces “recapture”: the assessed value resets to full just (market) value on the January 1 following the change of ownership, wiping out the seller's accumulated Save Our Homes differential. For long-time owners with large SOH benefits, this can double or triple the property tax bill for the new owner in a single year.
This is why newly purchased Florida homes frequently have overassessments. The county sets the new value at the purchase price, but if you bought in a hot market or overpaid in a bidding war, the assessed value may exceed actual market value. This is exactly where an appeal can save you money from year one.
Key Florida Deadlines
- File for homestead exemption by March 1st
- Petition the Value Adjustment Board within 25 days of the mailing of your TRIM notice, not 25 days from when you receive it. TRIM notices go out in mid-August, so most county deadlines land in early-to-mid September; the exact date is printed on your notice
- Transfer portability within 3 tax years of selling your previous home
- File portability application (DR-501T) by March 1st of the year you want the transfer
What Is Florida's Average Effective Property Tax Rate in 2026?
Your effective rate is simply your annual tax bill divided by your home's market value. Florida has no single official statewide rate, because every county, city, school board, and special district sets its own millage. The closest thing to an official source is the Florida Department of Revenue, which publishes millage rates and property tax data tables for all 67 counties each year. National analyses of Census survey data, such as the Tax Foundation's state comparisons, have consistently placed Florida's average effective rate below 1% and below the national average, though the exact figure moves year to year and varies widely by county.
Two Florida-specific details matter when computing your own rate. First, Florida assesses property at full market (“just”) value, with no fractional assessment ratio, so any gap between your bill and your neighbors' comes from exemptions, the caps, or millage differences, not from a ratio. Second, homesteaded owners pay on assessed value minus exemptions, so the effective rate on market value falls the longer the Save Our Homes cap has held your assessment below market.
Florida Tax Increase Math: Real Numbers
Here's how different scenarios play out for a home with a $400,000 assessed value, using an illustrative combined millage of 17 mills ($17 of tax per $1,000 of taxable value; check your TRIM notice for your actual rates):
| Scenario | Assessment Change | Tax Bill Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Homestead, 2026 cap (2.7%) | +2.7% ($10,800) | +~$184/year |
| Homestead, CPI at 3%+ | +3% max ($12,000) | +~$204/year |
| Non-homestead, hot market | +10% max ($40,000) | +~$680/year |
| New purchase (recapture) | Full market value reset | Often 2-3x previous owner's bill |
Florida Property Tax Rates by County (2026)
Florida's 67 counties have widely varying millage rates and appreciation patterns. Your total rate stacks the county, city (if you're inside one), school board, and any special district levies; the Florida Department of Revenue publishes the adopted millage rates for every taxing authority each year, and your own TRIM notice lists exactly which rates apply to your parcel. Where the pressure is showing up:
- Miami-Dade County: Rapid condo and residential appreciation. New buyers face severe recapture when a long-held homestead sells.
- Hillsborough County (Tampa): Strong market growth means large SOH benefits for existing owners but big jumps for new buyers.
- Orange County (Orlando): Tourism-driven growth. Investment properties hit the 10% non-homestead cap regularly.
- Palm Beach County: Luxury market with high base values. Even small percentage increases translate to large dollar amounts.
- Duval County (Jacksonville): A consolidated city-county levy, so the county and city millage arrive as one line rather than two. Check the adopted rates on your TRIM notice rather than assuming a separate city rate applies.
Do Property Taxes Go Up Every Year in Florida?
Usually, yes, but not automatically. Your assessed value moves nearly every year: for a homestead it rises by the annual SOH cap (2.7% in 2026) whenever market value is at or above the capped value, and it can actually fall in a down market, since assessments track just value. Millage rates are re-adopted every year by each taxing authority, and while they sometimes hold flat or roll back, the combination of a capped-but-rising assessment and steady-or-rising rates means most Florida homeowners see some increase most years.
The exceptions are worth knowing: a successful assessment appeal lowers the base the cap grows from, a new exemption (like the inflation-adjusted second homestead exemption) reduces taxable value, and a rate rollback by your county or city can hold your bill flat even as assessed value ticks up.
- Florida3% homestead
- California2% a year
- Texas10% homestead
Save Our Homes caps homestead growth at 3% or CPI, whichever is lower. Non-homestead is capped at 10%. Non-homestead property is capped at 10%.
A cap limits how fast the number grows. It does not check whether the number was right to begin with.
What you can do about it
Should You Appeal in Florida?
Even with Florida's caps, appealing can still save money, and in some cases it's the most effective strategy because a successful appeal lowers your base assessment. The cap then applies to this lower starting point, compounding savings year after year.
Appeals are especially valuable if you:
- Recently purchased: Your assessment resets to market value. If comparable sales show you overpaid or the market has softened, an appeal can lower your new baseline.
- Have property condition issues: Structural problems, flood damage, or deferred maintenance that the assessor hasn't accounted for.
- Received a TRIM notice with a jump: Even homesteaded properties can see large increases if the county corrected an error or reclassified the property.
The Compounding Effect of a Florida Appeal
A $20,000 reduction in assessed value saves about $340 a year at an illustrative combined millage of 17 mills. But because the SOH cap applies to the reduced value going forward, the savings compound: the capped value grows from the lower base every year afterward. Over 10 years, that single appeal is worth well over $3,000 at that rate.
A real AppealDesk order, Charlotte County
In June 2026, a homeowner in Charlotte County ran the check. The county had their home on record at $900,241, while recorded sales of comparable homes supported about $637,467: an over-assessment of $262,774, worth roughly $4,034 per year if corrected. Their packet laid out the comparable sales, the forms, and the filing steps. Nobody at the county was ever going to run that check for them.
Caps and rate limits only control how fast your bill can grow. Nothing in them checks whether the number underneath is right. Assessors in Florida set values with mass-appraisal models that price thousands of homes at once, and nobody reviews yours unless you challenge it.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can my Florida property taxes increase more than 3%?▼
Yes. The 3% cap only applies to your assessed value, not your tax bill. If millage rates increase, your bill can rise by more than 3%. Additionally, the cap doesn't apply to non-homestead properties (which have a 10% cap) or to new construction added to your property.
What happens to Save Our Homes when I sell?▼
When you sell, the buyer's assessment resets to the purchase price (full market value). Your accumulated SOH benefit disappears for that property. However, you can transfer up to $500,000 of that benefit to a new Florida home within 3 tax years using portability.
How do I file a TRIM appeal in Florida?▼
You have 25 days from the mailing of your TRIM (Truth in Millage) notice, not from the day you receive it, to file a petition with the Value Adjustment Board (VAB). Property appraisers mail TRIM notices in mid-August, so most county deadlines fall in early-to-mid September; the exact deadline is printed on the notice, and late petitions may be accepted for good cause. File with your county's VAB office and present comparable sales evidence showing your assessed value exceeds market value.
Is Florida's Save Our Homes better than Texas's 10% cap?▼
For long-term owners, Florida's cap of 3% or CPI (2.7% in 2026) holds assessed value down harder than the Texas homestead cap of 10%. The tradeoff is a bigger “lock-in” effect: moving resets your assessment, which discourages selling. Texas has no equivalent transfer of a capped homestead value to a new home, while Florida's portability moves up to $500,000 of the benefit with you, which partially solves the problem.
How much is property tax in Florida?▼
It depends on your county's combined millage rate and your taxable value (assessed value minus exemptions). Florida assesses at full market value, then homesteaded owners subtract up to $51,411 in exemptions for 2026 and benefit from the Save Our Homes cap. National comparisons consistently place Florida's average effective rate below 1% of market value, below the national average, but your actual bill comes from the millage rates on your TRIM notice.
Is there a cap on property tax increases in Florida?▼
There is a cap on assessment increases, not on tax bills. Homesteaded property is capped at the lesser of 3% or CPI per year (2.7% for 2026), and non-homestead property at 10% (excluding school levies). Millage rates have no bill-level cap, so a rate increase can push your bill up faster than the assessment cap suggests.
Growth limits only help if the number they grow from is fair. If your assessment jumped after a purchase, new construction, or a revaluation, that new number is the one nobody has reviewed. Checking it is free and takes about a minute.
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Last updated: July 2026. Sources: Florida Department of Revenue, Florida Statutes Chapter 193, Florida Constitution Article VII Section 4, HJR 1F (2026 special session).