Florida Ballot Initiative Analysis: Amendment 6 (2020)

Florida Amendment 6: Homestead Property Tax Discount for Spouses of Deceased Veterans Amendment

Summary

Current Florida law discounts the property taxes of combat-disabled veterans by the percentage they are disabled. So, for example, a veteran who is 40 percent disabled due to a combat-related injury would receive a 40 percent discount on his or her property taxes. That property tax discount ends for that property when the veteran dies.

Amendment 6 would transfer the discount to the veteran’s surviving spouse upon the death of the veteran and allow the spouse to transfer the dollar amount of the tax discount to a new home. If the spouse remarries, the benefit would end.

Fiscal Impact

According to the Florida Revenue Estimating Conference, Amendment 6 would reduce local property tax receipts by $1.8 million beginning in the fiscal year 2021-2022, increasing to $10.2 million annually by fiscal year 2025-2026.

Proponents Arguments in For

Amendment 6 has no formal support organizations, campaigns, or published arguments.

Opponents Arguments Against

There is no official opposition to Amendment 5 or any published arguments against.

Discussion

Broad-based tax cuts, rather than picking favored parties, are the most effective and fair form of tax cuts.  However, the intent of the veterans’ property tax discount, proportionate to their degree of disability, is clearly to provide an ongoing benefit to combat veterans who suffer as a result of their military service. Extending the benefit to the veteran’s spouse upon their death may help some families avoid making homeownership decisions based on an increase in anticipated costs after the veteran’s death and could help avoid making the impact of their passing even harder on their spouses.

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