Florida’s sales tax holidays, tax breaks bring benefits | Opinion
The Tallahassee Democrat recently reported on numerous tax breaks and sales tax holidays signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The sales tax holidays provide short-term relief from sales tax for retail items such as gasoline, diapers, back-to-school supplies, and disaster preparedness products.
It’s important for Leon County residents and property owners to know that the tax package also includes significant residential property tax savings for those individuals most in need.
The law increases the property tax exemption available to widows, widowers, the blind, and those who are permanently disabled from $500 to $5,000.
This is one of the most important property tax bills to pass this year. This is the first time the value of the exemption has been raised since 1968 and the increase amounts to nearly $100 in recurring annual savings for these individuals.
In addition, the law allows for the prorated refund of property taxes on residential properties rendered uninhabitable by a hurricane or other catastrophic event.
Our Florida associations of property appraisers believe that survivors of disasters should not foot the bill for taxes on property that has been lost in a catastrophe and we fought hard for the passage of this and the widows/widowers exemption bills.
I applaud the elected leaders who were instrumental in supporting measures to provide valuable property tax relief to homeowners.
Leon County property owners should contact my office at 850-606-6200 for assistance with applying for or maintaining property tax exemptions.
Akin Akinyemi serves as Leon County Property Appraiser. He also currently serves as the president of the Florida Association of Property Appraisers (FAPA). He can be reached at admin@leonpa.org.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida’s sales tax holidays, tax breaks bring benefits | Opinion
