Deferred and Unpaid Taxes:
HB 761 would narrow Florida’s homestead tax deferral program and change when very small delinquent tax certificates can be sold. Under current law, eligible homeowners may defer payment of certain ad valorem taxes, non-ad valorem assessments, and interest tied to a tax certificate. This bill would limit that deferral to homestead properties with a just value of $1 million or less, meaning higher-value homesteads would no longer qualify for the deferral benefit.
The bill also raises the threshold for small delinquent tax certificates that cannot be sold at public auction or by electronic sale. It increases the minimum amount from less than $250 to less than $500 for homestead properties, and corresponding enforcement provisions would apply only when the tax certificate and accrued interest total at least $500. The bill would take effect July 1, 2025.
HB 761 would amend sections 197.252 and 197.432 of the Florida Statutes. It would restrict eligibility for homestead tax deferral to properties with a just value of $1 million or less, affecting owners of higher-value homesteads who currently may defer certain taxes and assessments. It would also change tax certificate administration by increasing the minimum delinquent amount eligible for sale from under $250 to under $500 for homestead-exempt property, shifting more small delinquent accounts to county retention at the maximum interest rate rather than sale to third parties.
There is limited recorded discussion or vote data available, so sentiment must be inferred from the bill’s progress. The bill ultimately died in the State Affairs Committee, which suggests it did not receive enough support to advance. The absence of committee transcripts or recorded votes makes it difficult to identify broad support or opposition, but the stalled status indicates the proposal did not gain sufficient momentum.
The main points of contention likely involve the bill’s tighter eligibility standard for homestead tax deferral and the higher threshold for selling small tax certificates. Property owners with homesteads valued above $1 million would lose access to the deferral, which could be viewed as a tax increase or reduction in relief for higher-value homeowners. On the other hand, local tax officials and counties may view the higher certificate threshold as an administrative adjustment that reduces the sale of very small delinquent tax claims. Because there are no committee transcripts, the specific arguments from supporters or opponents are not documented in the available record.