Veterans and active duty service members may qualify for special Florida property tax exemptions

Florida offers certain property tax exemptions to veterans and active service members. Are you taking advantage of them? From the Florida Department of Revenue, here are the different types of exemptions that may be available to you:

Disabled Ex-Service member: An ex-service member disabled at least 10% in war or by service-connected events may be entitled to a $5,000 exemption on any property he or she owns.

Service-Connected, Total and Permanent Disability or Confined to a Wheelchair: An honorably discharged veteran who is totally and permanently disabled or requires a wheelchair for mobility resulting from their military service may qualify for total exemption of their homestead. Under some circumstances, the benefit of this exemption can carry over to the surviving spouse.

Discount for Veterans 65 and Older with a Combat-Related Disability: A veteran who is disabled, 65 or older, and owns homestead property may qualify for a property tax discount based on their percentage of disability. To be eligible, you must have been honorably discharged from military service and be partially disabled with a permanent service-connected disability, at least part of which is combat-related.  

Deployed Military Exemption: A member or former member of any branch of the United States military or military reserves, the United States Coast Guard or its reserves, or the Florida National Guard may receive an exemption on this year’s tax bill if he or she: 

• receives a homestead exemption

• was deployed during the last calendar year outside the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii in support of a designated operation (each year the Florida legislature designates operations for this exemption), and

• submits an application, Form DR-501M, to the property appraiser.

The percent of the taxable value that is exempt for the current year is determined by the percent of time during the last year when the service member was deployed on a designated operation.

Surviving Spouse of Military Veteran Who Died in the Line of Duty: A surviving spouse of a veteran who died from service-connected causes while on active duty may be granted a total exemption on their home. 

 

Filing and Keeping Your Homestead Exemption: When a person serving in the Armed Forces owns a property and uses it as a homestead, the service member may rent the homestead without abandoning the claim to the homestead exemption. Service members who can't file a homestead exemption claim in person because of a service obligation may file the claim through next of kin or through any other person who has been authorized in writing to file on behalf of the service member. 

For additional information on property exemptions, contact your county Property Appraiser,  or click here.