In the first week of this year’s legislative session, the only major item dealing with the property tax debate and what should be on the state ballot in 2026 was HJR 203 – Property Tax Relief: A 10-year phase-out of non-school property taxes on homestead properties.
The bill received support and was approved by the State Affairs Committee.
The 2026 Florida Legislature opened with Governor DeSantis’ final State of the State address, as well as speeches from the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate.
Florida TaxWatch said the property tax debate is less discussed.
“While the speech highlighted past successes, it was light on details of the session’s priorities and limited discussion of property tax relief,” TaxWatch noted.
But in the debate over budgeting and taxes, the real big question could be determining how high and high exemptions homesteaders will or will not be granted.
TaxWatch says state economists continue to warn lawmakers of impending budget shortfalls if current spending trends continue. This could reverse support for strong property tax reform.
“Property taxes are expected to dominate the tax debate. The Governor, House, and Senate have all expressed support for some form of homeowner-focused relief, but there is no consensus on the approach,” TaxWatch said.
Each group analyzed in detail the proposed property tax and its estimated fiscal impact.
Last week, TaxWatch released its own tax reporting summary
Florida TaxWatch says policymakers need to develop property tax relief programs that are fair, effective, and equitable. The group’s latest report, “Save Taxpayers: Property tax relief must be achieved equitably. All elected officials should be prepared.”
“Our newly released report outlines how the proposed relief could unintentionally shift tax burdens and provides recommendations to support a level playing field for all Florida taxpayers,” TaxWatch said.
