Published by REALTOR.com | February 21, 2025
The proposal would make Florida the first state in the country without property taxes, a prospect that has already drawn strong reactions.
The Florida Legislature is considering a move to eliminate property taxes in the state, a radical step that has the backing of Gov. Ron DeSantis.
If actually carried out, the proposal would make Florida the first state in the country without property taxes, a prospect that has already drawn strong reactions from both supporters and opponents.
A bill filed on Tuesday in the Florida Senate calls for a formal study of how eliminating real estate taxes could affect public services and the state’s economy and housing market.
Property taxes fund schools, parks, and emergency services. Florida has no income tax, and the proposed study would examine whether higher sales taxes could fill the funding gap if property taxes are eliminated.
The new bill comes just days after DeSantis posted on X expressing his support for eliminating or drastically reducing property taxes in Florida.
“I agree that taxing land/property is the more oppressive and ineffective form of taxation,” the Republican wrote, responding to another user who asked if the taxes could be eliminated.
“Property taxes are local, not state. So we’d need to do a constitutional amendment (requires 60% of voters to approve) to eliminate them (which I would support) or even to reform/lower them,” wrote DeSantis. “We should put the boldest amendment on the ballot that has a chance of getting that 60%.”
Following the governor’s rallying cry, state Sen. Jonathan Martin, a Republican from Fort Myers, put forward SB 852, the bill calling for a study on the issue.
Martin’s bill calls on Florida’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research to study the feasibility of eliminating property taxes, and replacing lost revenue with budget cuts and sales tax hikes at the state and local levels. The report would be due on October 1.
Currently, every U.S. state has property taxes, which are typically authorized by the state government, but set and collected at the city or county level.
In 2023, state and local governments collected about $760 billion in taxes on real and personal property, a 31% increase from 2018, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
