Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday that he’s continuing to push for a property tax rebate for Florida homeowners this year — even as legislative leaders say no formal proposal has been presented.

Earlier this year, DeSantis floated the idea of giving up to $1,000 back to every homeowner who qualifies for a homestead exemption, positioning it as an alternative to House Speaker Daniel Perez’s proposed $5 billion cut to the state sales tax. That broader sales tax reduction has since fallen off the table after a drawn-out budget standoff between the House and Senate.

Now, lawmakers are considering a smaller package of permanent and one-time tax cuts, such as eliminating the sales tax on commercial leases. But a property tax rebate still hasn’t been officially introduced.

Speaking at a job growth grant event in Crawfordville, DeSantis reiterated his interest in helping homeowners.

“We are working on this right now,” he said. “We want to do a property tax rebate this year. We’re working with the Senate on the budget to get that through. I think that’s really important for people.”

Yet Senate Appropriations Chair Ed Hooper said Monday he hasn’t seen anything concrete.
“As of right now, I have not seen a formal proposal or solution; we’ve kind of been busy,” Hooper told reporters after a budget meeting.

House budget chair Rep. Lawrence McClure echoed the same sentiment, saying he also hadn’t seen a plan regarding a rebate.

DeSantis’ renewed push comes as lawmakers enter the final stretch of budget talks ahead of a June 16 deadline for a vote on next year’s spending plan, which takes effect July 1.

While DeSantis hasn’t released any detailed framework, he’s repeatedly called for property tax relief — and has even floated the long-term idea of eliminating property taxes for residents with a homestead exemption. He noted Monday that providing full relief to Florida’s 31 small and rural fiscally constrained counties would cost about $300 million — a figure he said the state could cover.

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