Homestead deadline is Monday
BY LISA NEWELL Gulf Breeze News lisa@gulfbreezenews.com

Only a few days remain to apply for a homestead exemption for the current tax year, and this year your homestead exemption is worth more than ever. The deadline is Monday, March 3.

When Florida voters approved Amendment One on January 29, it provided for an additional $25,000 homestead exemption plus "portability," the ability to move the "Save Our Homes" benefits to another home. Homestead tax exemption is the most common exemption applied for and granted in Santa Rosa County. If a person owns the property that is their primary place of residence on Jan. 1, they may apply for homestead exemption to reduce the taxable value on the home by $50,000, resulting in substantial savings on property taxes.

Application for all exemptions including those for senior citizens, widows, widowers, veterans, disabled persons and more must be made between Jan. 1 and March 1 of the tax year. Initial application should be made in person at the Property Appraiser's office and subsequent yearly renewal of exemption status may be made by mail. Failure to make application by March 1 of the tax year constitutes a waiver of the exemption privilege for that year. Senior Citizens who are 65 or older on January 1 may qualify for an additional $25,000 exemption if certain qualifications are met. For more information, call the office of Greg Brown, Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser, at 850-983-1880 or 850-934- 8175.