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Side-by-side property tax bills for Tampa Bay neighbors show large disparities

Florida Save Our Homes exemption means owners of homes with similar market values pay disparate tax bills.
This home at 1414 Tallahassee Drive in Tarpon Springs was purchased last year and has an estimated market value of $300,711. The owners face a $5,106 tax bill, well more than twice as much as the owners of the similar-sized and valued house on the block behind theirs that was purchased in 2012. The difference comes courtesy of the way Florida calculates property taxes on primary residences.
This home at 1414 Tallahassee Drive in Tarpon Springs was purchased last year and has an estimated market value of $300,711. The owners face a $5,106 tax bill, well more than twice as much as the owners of the similar-sized and valued house on the block behind theirs that was purchased in 2012. The difference comes courtesy of the way Florida calculates property taxes on primary residences. [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times ]
By
Published Sept. 9, 2022|Updated Sept. 14, 2022

In neighborhoods around Tampa Bay, and across Florida, some recent homebuyers are finding their property tax bills don’t rival their neighbors.

They’re more expensive.

By a lot.

Related: Here’s why some Tampa Bay homeowners pay far more in taxes than their neighbors

Florida’s Save Our Homes amendment requires property to be reappraised at market value when it is sold. And it caps how much a home’s value increases each year for the purpose of calculating the property tax bill to no more than 3 percent.

So, the buyer of a house in 2021 will pay significantly more in property taxes than the guy down the street who has owned a similar-sized and valued home for several years. It’s meant to protect residents from getting priced out of their homes by their tax bills when the market shoots up, as it has in recent years.

Here are some examples of the affect of the Save Our Homes exemption in Pinellas, HIllsborough and Pasco counties. Most of the information is provided by the property appraisers in each county. In some instances, the number of bedrooms comes from the website realtor.com. In a few cases, neither that website nor the property appraiser listed bedroom counts.

For these comparisons, the Tampa Bay Times used the appraised values set for school tax purposes.

Pinellas County

Property tax bill estimates for two houses next to each other in St. Petersburg's Greater Woodlawn neighborhood.
Property tax bill estimates for two houses next to each other in St. Petersburg's Greater Woodlawn neighborhood. [ KELSEY HARRELL | Tampa Bay Times ]
Property tax bill estimates for two houses next to each other in St. Petersburg's Shore Acres neighborhood.
Property tax bill estimates for two houses next to each other in St. Petersburg's Shore Acres neighborhood. [ KELSEY HARRELL | Tampa Bay Times ]
Property tax bill estimates for two houses next to each other in Dunedin.
Property tax bill estimates for two houses next to each other in Dunedin. [ KELSEY HARRELL | Tampa Bay Times ]
Property tax bill estimates for two houses near each other in Tarpon Springs.
Property tax bill estimates for two houses near each other in Tarpon Springs. [ KELSEY HARRELL | Tampa Bay Times ]

Pasco County

Property tax bill estimates for two houses near each other in Odessa.
Property tax bill estimates for two houses near each other in Odessa. [ KELSEY HARRELL | Tampa Bay Times ]
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Property tax bill estimates for two houses near to each other in Land O' Lakes.
Property tax bill estimates for two houses near to each other in Land O' Lakes. [ KELSEY HARRELL | Tampa Bay Times ]

Hillsborough County

Property tax bill estimates for two houses near each other in South Tampa.
Property tax bill estimates for two houses near each other in South Tampa. [ KELSEY HARRELL | Tampa Bay Times ]
Property tax bill estimates for two houses near each other in Seminole Heights.
Property tax bill estimates for two houses near each other in Seminole Heights. [ KELSEY HARRELL | Tampa Bay Times ]
Property tax bill estimates for two houses near each other in Brandon.
Property tax bill estimates for two houses near each other in Brandon. [ KELSEY HARRELL | Tampa Bay Times ]
Property tax bill estimates for two houses near each other in Carrollwood.
Property tax bill estimates for two houses near each other in Carrollwood. [ KELSEY HARRELL | Tampa Bay Times ]

The Tampa Bay Times has a team of reporters focusing on rising costs in our region. If you have an idea, question or story to tell, please email us at costofliving@tampabay.com.

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