Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida, has announced a commitment to provide relief for homeowners by reducing and eventually eliminating property taxes. This statement was made on Facebook.
“Today we heard from Floridians who need real relief from property taxes,” said Ronald Dion Desantis, according to Facebook. “Truly owning private property should not mean perpetually paying rent to the government. I’m committed to reducing—and ultimately eliminating—property taxes for homeowners in Florida. While Florida ranks at or near the top in so many categories, the state is only ranked #21 when it comes to property taxes.”
According to the Tax Foundation, Florida lawmakers have put forward proposals aimed at reducing or eliminating property taxes without introducing new taxes or fees to offset the cuts. Analysts have pointed out that such a move would necessitate significant spending restraint or alternative revenue sources since property taxes fund most local services. These discussions gained momentum following DeSantis’s call for lasting homeowner relief.
Florida currently ranks 21st nationally in terms of property tax burden, with an average effective rate of 0.74% of home value. This rate is below the U.S. median but higher than several southern states. The typical Florida homeowner pays approximately $2,400 annually in property taxes, as reported in the 2024 state property tax ranking by the Tax Foundation.
The Florida Policy Institute has indicated that eliminating property taxes could result in a $43 billion annual revenue gap, equating to roughly $2,015 per resident. The analysis warns that compensating for this gap through other means would require substantial increases in sales or income taxes, highlighting the fiscal trade-offs involved in permanent property tax relief.
DeSantis has been serving as Florida’s 46th governor since 2019 after six years in the U.S. House of Representatives. A graduate of Yale and Harvard Law School and a former Navy JAG officer, he has focused on tax reduction, deregulation, and local autonomy as key aspects of his fiscal policy, according to the Florida Department of State.
The State of Florida operates under a decentralized property tax system where counties, municipalities, and school districts levy taxes based on locally set millage rates. The Florida Department of Revenue oversees assessments, exemptions, and compliance but does not collect state-level property tax.
