Fact Check: Would DeSantis's plan eliminate property taxes for 60 per cent of homeowners?

WASHINGTON, DC: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has unveiled a sweeping proposal to reduce and eventually eliminate property taxes on primary homes, claiming the plan would exempt 60 per cent of Florida homeowners from paying property taxes. He also said that raising the exemption threshold to $500,000 would benefit 92 per cent of homeowners. However, publicly available state data appears to tell a different story, raising questions about the accuracy of those figures. Do the numbers support DeSantis' claims?

Claim: DeSantis says 60 per cent of Florida homeowners would pay no property tax

Ron DeSantis' proposal would gradually raise Florida's homestead property tax exemption from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and then to $250,000 in 2028. Under the plan, homeowners whose primary residences are valued at $250,000 or less would pay no property taxes. For homes worth more than $250,000, only the value above that threshold would remain taxable.

The proposal also calls for the Florida Legislature to establish a schedule that would eventually increase the exemption to $500,000 and beyond, with the long-term goal of eliminating property taxes on all primary residences regardless of value.

Critics have argued that the proposal falls short of DeSantis' earlier pledge to immediately eliminate homestead property taxes. DeSantis, however, has defended the plan, saying it has a greater chance of winning legislative approval.

Speaking on May 27, DeSantis said, "A $250,000 limit, that eliminates property tax for 60 per cent of Florida homeowners." He also claimed that increasing the exemption threshold to $500,000 would make 92 per cent of homes tax-free.

 However, DeSantis' estimates of how many homeowners would benefit from the proposal do not appear to align with publicly available state data on the market values of Florida's homestead properties.

Fact Check: Reports show DeSantis's new property tax proposal is more complicated

However, publicly available data paints a different picture. According to a September 2025 report from the Florida Legislature's Office of Economic and Demographic Research, only about 28 per cent of Florida homestead properties have a market value of $250,000 or less. The report also found that about 76 per cent of homestead properties are valued at $500,000 or below, which is lower than DeSantis' claim that 92 per cent of homes would become tax-free at that threshold.

 Amy Baker, coordinator of the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, said the state's existing tax breaks and exemptions make the issue more complicated. She also noted that there is likely no public data currently available that can accurately show how many homeowners would completely stop paying property taxes under DeSantis' proposal. Her office plans to release a detailed analysis after lawmakers review the proposal during a special legislative session.

Before the plan can take effect, it must be approved by a three-fifths majority in the Florida Legislature and then receive support from at least 60 per cent of Florida voters in a statewide referendum.

Meanwhile, the center-left Florida Policy Institute estimated that eliminating property taxes on all primary residences could reduce local government revenue by about $18.5 billion, including $7.8 billion for counties, $3 billion for cities, and $7.7 billion for school districts.