What it means
Section 196.031 is Florida's homestead property-tax exemption — the one homeowners claim on their residence, not the separate constitutional protection from creditors. A person who holds legal or equitable title and makes the property their permanent residence as of January 1 gets an exemption of up to $25,000 off assessed value, applied to all taxes. A second $25,000 exemption applies to assessed value between $50,000 and $75,000, for every levy except school taxes. You cannot claim it if you are also claiming a residency-based tax break in another state.
- The first $25,000 of assessed value is exempt from all property taxes, including school levies.
- A second $25,000 exemption covers assessed value between $50,000 and $75,000, for all levies except school taxes.
- The owner must hold legal or equitable title and make the home their permanent residence as of January 1.
- Claiming a residency-based tax break in another state disqualifies the Florida exemption.
How it plays out
This exemption matters in probate and estate planning because it can be lost in the transfer. When a home passes into a trust or to heirs, we make sure the person living there still holds the kind of title 196.031 requires and still files as a permanent resident by January 1. Families sometimes assume the exemption follows the house automatically; it follows the qualifying owner-resident. Getting the trust language and the residency filing right is what keeps the tax bill from jumping the year after a death.