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March 1 Deadline To File For Homestead Exemption

Published on February 20, 2008 by Sherri Dodsworth under Business, Cape San Blas, Forgotten Coast, Port St. Joe, Real Estate, Taxes

The Tallahassee Tax MachineOn January 29, Floridians went to the polls and voted for a Constitutional Amendment which significantly impacts both homestead and non-homestead properties. I’ve received a lot of questions about these changes, and with the homestead exemption application deadline fast approaching on March 1, I’m reprinting here a well-written set of FAQs on the Amendment compiled by the Florida Association of Realtors to address concerns you may have. For ongoing, up-to-date info, check out the Amendment info page on the Florida Department of Revenue’s website.

Q: When will the changes from Amendment 1 show up on tax bills?

A: For those who are eligible, benefits from portability, the additional homestead exemption and the $25,000 exemption for tangible personal property will show up on 2008 tax bills.

Q: How does a person apply for portability?

A: The homesteaded property owner should turn in a completed application to the office of the property appraiser in the county where the new homestead is located. The application from the Department of Revenue.

http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/property/appraisers.html

Q: Who’s eligible for portability this year?

A: A person who establishes a new Florida homestead for 2008 and filed to give up the previous homestead sometime after Jan. 1, 2007. In other words, a person who relocated from a homestead last year and is claiming a new homestead for 2008 is eligible. The deadline for 2008 homestead and portability applications is March 1. The portability benefit would show up on the 2008 tax bill.

Q: Who’s eligible for portability after that?

A: Any Florida homesteaded property owner who establishes a new homestead for 2009 or any subsequent year as long as the person had another valid homestead within two years of establishing the new one.

Q: How much is the portability benefit worth?

A: A homesteaded property owner can transfer up to $500,000 of portability benefit to a new homestead. A person moving to a more expensive home transfers the dollar amount. A person moving to a less expensive home transfers the percentage value.

Q: I don’t plan to move. What happens to the 3 percent cap on property tax assessments I got every year under Save Our Homes?

A: You’re still protected. Save Our Homes doesn’t go away.

Q: Is there an application for the additional homestead exemption?

A: No. The additional exemption will be granted automatically to anyone qualifying for a base $25,000 homestead exemption. It applies only if a property’s assessed value exceeds $50,000.

Q: How much is the additional exemption?

A: The exemption is $25,000, but it does not apply to property taxes assessed for local schools. In other words, no additional exemption will be applied to a property’s assessed value for the purposes of levying school taxes.

Q: Do business owners and mobile-home owners with tangible personal property have to apply for the exemption?

A: To receive the exemption, they must file their 2008 returns. If the value of tangible personal property is under $25,000, they will not have to file again the following year.

Q: When does the 10 percent cap on annual assessment increases for most non-homesteaded properties go into effect?

A: It goes into effect in 2009. There will also be an application. Keep checking the Department of Revenue web site [http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/property/appraisers.html ]for details.

© Copyright 2008 Florida Association of Realtors®

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