A hotly-debated new constitutional amendment will go before Florida voters in November — and a handy new tool has been released to help homeowners determine how much they could save.
The proposed property-tax plan — Amendment 3 — provides a new homestead exemption for non-school taxes for residents in the state.
HOW DOES AMENDMENT 3 WORK?
Current homestead exemption rules in the state operate as follows, with two different brackets of assessed value being tax exempt:
| Assessed Value | Application of Homestead Exemption (Current) |
|---|---|
| The first $25,000 | Exempt from all property tax |
| –> $50,000 | Fully taxable |
| –> $75,000 | Exempt from non-school taxes |
| Remaining value | Taxable, though other exemptions may apply |
But under Amendment 3, the exemptions would apply solely to non-school taxes, though the exempted amount would raise dramatically:
- 2027 — First $150,000 of assessed value
- 2028 — First $250,000 of assessed value
- 2029 onward — First $250,000 of assessed value, indexed to inflation
This means that if the assessed value of your home is $150,000 or less in 2027 (or $250,000 or less in 2028), then you’d pay zero property taxes to your local government. School property taxes would still apply.
But this only applies to homeowners who are permanent Florida residents before the proposed amendment would take effect on Jan. 1, 2027. Newcomers receive lower exemptions for their first five years of residency before earning the full exemption.
To get approved, the amendment requires at least 60% support from voters when it heads to the general election ballot on Nov. 3.
HOW MUCH COULD YOU SAVE?
Critics of Amendment 3 warn that the plan may cost local governments dearly, as property taxes are used to fund core services like police departments and libraries.
Proponents argue local spending has grown too high, claiming property taxes place an undue burden on homeowners in the state.
Nonprofit research institute Florida Tax Watch has released a “resource center” aimed at educating residents on the potential savings for homeowners if Amendment 3 gets approved.
For those with properties over $250,000, the resource center includes a tool to help estimate how much Amendment 3 could save in property taxes.
Some estimates included in the resource center for Central Florida are as follows:
| County | City | Est. Annual Savings (2027) | Est. Annual Savings (2028) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brevard | Unincorporated | $352 | $710 |
| Brevard | Cape Canaveral | $658 | $1,326 |
| Brevard | Cocoa | $1,038 | $2,091 |
| Brevard | Cocoa Beach | $944 | $1,902 |
| Brevard | Grant-Valkaria | $481 | $969 |
| Brevard | Indialantic | $968 | $1,949 |
| Brevard | Indian Harbour Beach | $896 | $1,804 |
| Brevard | Malabar | $796 | $1,604 |
| Brevard | Melbourne | $1,044 | $2,102 |
| Brevard | Melbourne Beach | $806 | $1,623 |
| Brevard | Melbourne Village | $985 | $1,985 |
| Brevard | Palm Bay | $1,013 | $2,041 |
| Brevard | Rockledge | $880 | $1,772 |
| Brevard | Satellite Beach | $1,131 | $2,279 |
| Brevard | Titusville | $974 | $1,961 |
| Brevard | West Melbourne | $531 | $1,070 |
| Flagler | Unincorporated | $824 | $1,660 |
| Flagler | Beverly Beach | $927 | $1,867 |
| Flagler | Bunnell | $1,606 | $3,235 |
| Flagler | Flagler Beach – Flagler | $1,361 | $2,742 |
| Flagler | Marineland | $1,810 | $3,646 |
| Flagler | Palm Coast | $1,227 | $2,472 |
| Lake | Unincorporated | $509 | $1,026 |
| Lake | Astatula | $1,190 | $2,396 |
| Lake | Clermont | $962 | $1,938 |
| Lake | Eustis | $1,238 | $2,494 |
| Lake | Fruitland Park | $895 | $1,803 |
| Lake | Groveland | $1,071 | $2,158 |
| Lake | Howey-In-The-Hills | $1,199 | $2,414 |
| Lake | Lady Lake | $869 | $1,751 |
| Lake | Leesburg | $852 | $1,716 |
| Lake | Mascotte | $967 | $1,947 |
| Lake | Minneola | $1,052 | $2,118 |
| Lake | Montverde | $788 | $1,588 |
| Lake | Mount Dora | $1,131 | $2,277 |
| Lake | Tavares | $1,169 | $2,354 |
| Lake | Umatilla | $1,223 | $2,463 |
| Marion | Unincorporated | $406 | $819 |
| Marion | Belleview | $899 | $1,812 |
| Marion | Dunnellon | $868 | $1,749 |
| Marion | Mcintosh | $589 | $1,186 |
| Marion | Ocala | $1,059 | $2,133 |
| Orange | Unincorporated | $457 | $921 |
| Orange | Apopka | $895 | $1,803 |
| Orange | Bay Lake | $677 | $1,363 |
| Orange | Belle Isle | $929 | $1,871 |
| Orange | Eatonville | $1,176 | $2,370 |
| Orange | Edgewood | $975 | $1964 |
| Orange | Lake Buena Vista | $716 | $1,441 |
| Orange | Maitland | $955 | $1,924 |
| Orange | Oakland | $1,118 | $2,252 |
| Orange | Ocoee | $945 | $1,904 |
| Orange | Orlando | $1,113 | $2,242 |
| Orange | Windermere | $826 | $1,665 |
| Orange | Winter Garden | $936 | $1,886 |
| Orange | Winter Park | $861 | $1,734 |
| Osceola | Unincorporated | $735 | $1,480 |
| Osceola | Kissimmee | $1,191 | $2,399 |
| Osceola | Saint Cloud | $1,239 | $2,496 |
| Polk | Unincorporated | $679 | $1,368 |
| Polk | Auburndale | $1,098 | $2,213 |
| Polk | Bartow | $1,282 | $2,581 |
| Polk | Davenport | $1,394 | $2,808 |
| Polk | Dundee | $1,458 | $2,937 |
| Polk | Eagle Lake | $1,434 | $2,888 |
| Polk | Fort Meade | $1,511 | $3,045 |
| Polk | Frostproof | $1,325 | $2,670 |
| Polk | Haines City | $1,403 | $2,826 |
| Polk | Highland Park | $1,663 | $3,349 |
| Polk | Hillcrest Heights | $746 | $1,503 |
| Polk | Lake Alfred | $1,345 | $2,709 |
| Polk | Lake Hamilton | $1,467 | $2,955 |
| Polk | Lake Wales | $1,473 | $2,966 |
| Polk | Lakeland | $1,215 | $2,447 |
| Polk | Mulberry | $1,309 | $2,637 |
| Polk | Polk City | $1,197 | $2,411 |
| Polk | Winter Haven | $1,329 | $2,677 |
| Seminole | Unincorporated | $548 | $1,103 |
| Seminole | Altamonte Springs | $942 | $1,897 |
| Seminole | Casselberry | $942 | $1,897 |
| Seminole | Lake Mary | $901 | $1,816 |
| Seminole | Longwood | $1,090 | $2,195 |
| Seminole | Oviedo | $1,125 | $2,267 |
| Seminole | Sanford | $1,270 | $2,558 |
| Seminole | Winter Springs | $806 | $1,623 |
| Volusia | Unincorporated | $567 | $1,142 |
| Volusia | Daytona Beach | $1,151 | $2,319 |
| Volusia | Daytona Beach Shores | $1,019 | $2,053 |
| Volusia | Debary | $927 | $1,867 |
| Volusia | DeLand | $1,176 | $2,370 |
| Volusia | Deltona | $1,227 | $2,472 |
| Volusia | Edgewater | $1,191 | $2,399 |
| Volusia | Flagler Beach – Volusia | $1,104 | $2,224 |
| Volusia | Holly Hill | $1,139 | $2,294 |
| Volusia | Lake Helen | $1,243 | $2,504 |
| Volusia | New Smyrna Beach | $1,024 | $2,063 |
| Volusia | Oak Hill | $1,127 | $2,270 |
| Volusia | Orange City | $1,280 | $2,579 |
| Volusia | Ormond Beach | $993 | $2,000 |
| Volusia | Pierson | $1,084 | $2,183 |
| Volusia | Ponce Inlet | $1,183 | $2,383 |
| Volusia | Port Orange | $1,057 | $2,130 |
| Volusia | South Daytona | $1,331 | $2,681 |
To find the estimated savings for a specific location, scroll down to the section titled “How Much Will I Save If Amendment 3 Passes?” and do the following:
- 1. Select your county
- 2. Select your city
- 3. Select your water management district (if applicable)
The tool will then show how much you could save under the amendment in both 2027 and 2028.
To access the resource center, click here.