DeSantis Endorses Abolishing Property Taxes in Florida

Published: 2/14/2025, 11:36:13 PM EST

DeSantis Endorses Abolishing Property Taxes in Florida — In an aerial view, single family homes are shown in a residential neighborhood in Miami, Fla., on May 10, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed eliminating or lowering property taxes through a constitutional amendment.

DeSantis endorsed the idea while responding to a post on X about abolishing the taxes in his state.

"Property taxes are local, not state. So we’d need to do a constitutional amendment (requires 60 percent of voters to approve) to eliminate them (which I would support) or even to reform/lower them," DeSantis wrote in a statement on X.

"We should put the boldest amendment on the ballot that has a chance of getting that 60 percent…I agree that taxing land/property is the more oppressive and ineffective form of taxation."

Property tax, a fee based on the value of a home and the land it sits on, is determined by the assessed value of the property. These taxes are typically a percentage of the home's fair market value and are considered a significant expense for homeowners or those considering buying a home.

Although the amount varies between counties, the typical homeowner in Florida pays $2,386 annually in property taxes, according to financial technology company Smart Asset. The state's property taxes fall a little below national averages. The state’s average property tax rate is 0.82 percent, which is lower than the U.S. average of 0.90 percent.

According to tax policy nonprofit Tax Foundation, property taxes are the largest source of revenue for state and local governments in the country, providing over 30 percent of total state and local tax collections and more than 70 percent of total local tax revenue.

Property taxes operate on the “benefit principle" in which the amount paid aligns with the services provided to residents, meaning homeowners generally benefit from state and local services their property taxes support such as schools, roads, and law enforcement.

The governor's proposal has gained widespread attention online with his initial statement reposted 14,000 times on X as of Friday afternoon.