In week one of this year’s legislative session, the only major item that dealt with the property tax debate and what should be placed on the 2026 state ballot came from HJR 203 – Property Tax Relief: 10-year phase-out of non-school property taxes on homestead properties.
This bill has support and was approved by the State Affairs Committee.
The 2026 Florida Legislative Session kicked off with addresses from the Speaker and Senate President, along with Governor DeSantis’ final State of the State speech.
Florida TaxWatch said the property tax debate wasn’t really discussed much.
“While the speeches emphasized past successes, they were light on detailed session priorities, with limited discussion of property tax relief,” noted TaxWatch.
But with the conversation about budgeting and taxes, the real big issue could determine how high exemptions may or may not be allowed for homestead property owners.
TaxWatch says state economists continue to warn lawmakers of looming budget shortfalls if current spending trends continue. Its possible this could upend support for strong property tax reform.
“Property taxes are expected to dominate the tax debate. While the Governor, House, and Senate have all expressed support for some form of homeowner-focused relief, there is no consensus on approach,” said TaxWatch.
The groups have broken down the property tax proposal and their estimated fiscal impacts.
Last week, TaxWatch released its own tax report summary
Florida TaxWatch says policymakers need to develop property tax relief that is fair, effective, and equitable. The group says their latest report, “Save Our Taxpayers: Property Tax Relief Must be Accomplished Equitably should be ready by every elected officials
“Our newly released report outlines how relief proposals can unintentionally shift tax burdens and provides recommendations to help level the playing field for all Florida taxpayers,” said TaxWatch.
