Tallahassee, FL — February 18, 2026
Florida House committees have advanced three separate property tax relief proposals, but time is running short to reach an agreement with the Senate before the legislative session concludes.
The proposals vary in scope. One would phase out all non-school property taxes on homesteaded properties. A second would offer additional tax breaks to homeowners who carry property insurance. A third would lower the cap on how much a homesteaded property’s assessed taxable value can increase annually.
House Speaker Daniel Perez said Tuesday he is confident a plan will come together, but acknowledged the House cannot move forward alone. He expressed a desire to put the measure before voters in November, saying residents deserve the chance to decide whether the tradeoffs are worth it.
None of the three proposals includes a plan for how cities and counties would make up for lost revenue — a concern raised by Jeff Brandes, a former state senator and head of the Florida Policy Project, who warned the proposals could financially devastate some local governments.
State analysts estimate the proposals could cost local governments between $6.7 billion and $18.3 billion statewide. The most far-reaching option, which would exempt homesteaded properties from all taxes except school district levies, would hit Bay Area counties hard. Projected annual losses include $1.2 billion for Hillsborough County, $907 million for Pinellas, $480 million for Pasco, $418 million for Sarasota, $380 million for Polk, and $373 million for Manatee.
Any property tax reduction would require voter approval in November. For that to happen, the House and Senate must first agree on a single proposal to place on the ballot.
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