June 2, 2026
The Florida Legislature was in session this week to consider Gov. DeSantis’s property tax reform proposal
Members of the Florida legislature returned to Tallahassee this week to consider Governor Ron DeSantis’s property tax reform proposal. Any proposal will have to win 60%+ support of the legislature AND 60%+ of the voters in November. On June 2nd, Florida lawmakers passed the Governor’s proposal.
Gov. DeSantis’s proposal would increase the homestead exemption to $150k in 2027 and $250k in 2028. Total elimination of homestead property taxes, as the Governor is calling for, would depend on future legislatures. The proposal intends to insulate commercial properties from a tax shift by lowering the cap on non-homestead property assessments to no more than 5% per year.
County governments opposed the proposal, arguing that the amendment would cut county tax revenues by up to 35% in some counties. The tax cut is expected to have a greater impact on rural counties. Gov. DeSantis is calling for a trust fund to ensure small rural counties have sufficient operating revenue, but that would come in future legislation if the overall tax cut amendment passes in the fall.
The Governor counters that county government tax receipts have exploded and, since 2018, have far outstripped population growth. In Hillsborough County, the Governor attests, property tax receipts have grown from $850 million in 2018 to $1.6 billion today. During the same period, Hillsborough County’s population increased by just 8%.
Gov. DeSantis has provided this website where you can easily calculate your property’s tax cut under his plan: www.saveourhomesfl.com.
NFIB has called for protections against commercial property tax shifts, such as the property tax assessment cap of 5% as included in the proposal. NFIB has NOT taken a position on the overall proposal, but we will be balloting our membership on the amendment if it is passed by the legislature.
If you have any questions, please contact Florida Executive Director Bill Herrle at bill.herrle@NFIB.org.
*this article was last updated on June 2, 2026
NFIB is a member-driven organization advocating on behalf of small and independent businesses nationwide.
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