Pasco County, FL: homestead & property-tax exemptions

How to claim property-tax exemptions in Pasco County (Dade City area): who qualifies, the deadline, where to file, documents, re-filing and appeals.

Last checked 2026-11-01 · 23 official sources

Exemptions available

• Homestead: the first $25,000 of assessed value is exempt from all property taxes, including school taxes. A second exemption applies to the part of assessed value between $50,000 and $75,000, and only to non-school taxes. Florida now adjusts that second exemption for inflation every year. The Department of Revenue's 2026 figure is $26,411, though the Property Appraiser's brochure still says 'up to $25,000'. ^[1][2][3]
• Save Our Homes: once you have homestead, yearly increases in assessed value are capped at 3% or the change in CPI, whichever is lower. Changes, additions and improvements are assessed at full value. Portability lets you move up to $500,000 of the Save Our Homes benefit from a previous Florida homestead if you establish the new one within three years (Form DR-501T). ^[1][4]
• Income-qualified senior exemption: an additional $50,000 homestead exemption adopted by the Pasco Board of County Commissioners. You must be 65 or older on January 1 and have 2026 household adjusted gross income at or below $38,686. It applies only to the County Operating millage. It doesn't reduce school taxes, MSTUs, general obligation bonds or other taxing authorities. ^[5][6]
• $5,000 exemptions for permanent Florida residents who are widows or widowers (lost if you remarry; divorced before the death doesn't count), blind, or totally and permanently disabled. There's also a $5,000 exemption for honorably discharged veterans with a service-connected disability of at least 10%, which can pass to an unremarried surviving spouse. ^[1]
• Full exemption from all property taxes on the homestead for: veterans with a total and permanent service-connected disability (can extend to an unremarried surviving spouse); quadriplegics; paraplegic, hemiplegic or other totally and permanently disabled people who must use a wheelchair or are legally blind, if household gross income is under a limit adjusted yearly for inflation (the Property Appraiser asks you to call for the current amount); and the surviving spouse of a veteran who died from service-connected causes on active duty, or of a first responder who died in the line of duty in Florida. ^[1]
• Other benefits listed by the Property Appraiser: a property-tax discount for veterans 65 and older with a combat-related disability (equal to the VA disability percentage); an exemption for deployed military based on the share of the prior year spent deployed (Form DR-501M); and an assessment reduction for living quarters built for a parent or grandparent. Non-homestead property has a 10% yearly assessment cap without applying. ^[1][4]

Statewide exemption details: Florida guide.

Who qualifies

• You must own the home (legal or beneficial title) and make it your permanent residence on or before January 1 of the year you apply. Commercial use of the property isn't covered. ^[7][1]
• Neither you nor your spouse can receive a residency-based exemption or tax credit anywhere else, including in another state. You can hold only one exemption that requires permanent residency. Filing a false claim is a first-degree misdemeanor. ^[7][1]
• If you're not a U.S. citizen, you need a permanent resident card (green card) or PRUCOL documentation. ^[7]
• For the senior exemption, you must also be 65 by January 1 and meet the household income limit ($38,686 for 2026, covering everyone living in the home). ^[5][6]

Deadline

• March 1 for the current tax year: the Property Appraiser accepts applications up to close of business on March 1 (excluding weekends and holidays). You must meet the requirements by January 1. Online homestead filing is open year-round, so you can apply early for next year. ^[1][7]
• Senior exemption: apply by March 1. If you need more time for income paperwork, the income documents are due by June 1. ^[5]
• Missed March 1? Under Florida law you can still file late, through the 25th day after TRIM notices are mailed, if you show extenuating circumstances. That's the same day as the VAB petition deadline (September 14 in 2026). After that, a denied late application can be appealed to the Value Adjustment Board for a $15 fee. ^[8][9]
• Key dates on the Property Appraiser's calendar: January 1 assessment date, March 1 filing deadline, TRIM notices mailed in August, VAB petitions due in September, and tax bills mailed by the Tax Collector around November 1. ^[1]
• Paying the tax: Pasco bills carry discounts of 4% in November, 3% in December, 2% in January and 1% in February. The full amount is due March 31. Unpaid taxes become delinquent April 1, with 3% interest plus advertising costs. A tax certificate is sold on unpaid taxes on or before June 1. ^[10][11]

Where and how to file

• Online: homestead applications can be filed from the Property Appraiser's website. Don't file online if you're claiming total and permanent disability, a disabled veteran exemption, a separate family unit, or a homestead held in a trust. Visit an office or call (727) 847-8151 instead. ^[7][1]
• In person at any Property Appraiser office (Monday-Friday 8:30-5:00, closed legal holidays): Dade City, 14236 6th St., Suite 101, (352) 521-4433; Land O' Lakes, 4111 Land O'Lakes Blvd., Suite 106, (813) 929-2780; New Port Richey, 8731 Citizens Dr., Suite 130, (727) 847-8151. Mailing address: P.O. Box 401, Dade City, FL 33526. Email: [email protected]. ^[12][13]
• The income-qualified senior exemption must be filed in person at one of the three offices (Form DR-501SC). Exemptions that need supporting documents can be filed at an office, or by mail in some cases. ^[5][1][4]
• Approved exemptions show up on your August TRIM notice. Denials are sent by certified mail by July 1. Give your mortgage company a copy of your homestead receipt. ^[13]
• Help paying the bill: the Tax Collector offers a quarterly installment plan for taxes over $100. Applications for 2027 taxes are taken November 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027, with discounts of 6% (June), 4.5% (September), 3% (December) and 0% (March). Seniors 65+ meeting the state income limit, and households with income under $10,000, can apply to defer homestead taxes (November 1 to March 31, renewed every year). The deferred tax becomes a lien on the home. ^[14][15][16]
• Pasco County's Tax Payment/Foreclosure Prevention Program offers a zero-interest loan, deferred five years, for homesteaded owners under 80% of area median income (for example, $64,250 for one person as of May 2026). It covers current or delinquent taxes, up to a $15,000 lifetime maximum, and the home's value must be under $330,000. Call Community Development at (727) 834-3447. ^[17]
• Pay the tax at any Tax Collector office, by mail (checks payable to 'Mike Fasano, Tax Collector', P.O. Box 276, Dade City, FL 33526-0276), by wire, or online by card or e-check (a third-party vendor fee applies). Drop boxes are at all five offices. Delinquent taxes require certified funds. Tax department: (352) 521-4338. ^[16][18][11]

Documents needed

• For you and your spouse: Social Security numbers (required, even if you're married but separated) and a Florida driver license or ID card (required to file online). ^[7]
• Also, as applicable: Florida vehicle registration, Florida voter registration, a green card or PRUCOL documents if you aren't a U.S. citizen, a recorded deed or tax bill showing you owned the home on or before January 1, names and addresses of any owners not living there, and the address or parcel ID of any previous Florida homestead. ^[7][1]
• Senior exemption: proof of age, plus your prior-year federal tax return (Form 1040) for everyone in the household. If you didn't file, bring IRS Form 4506-T and bank or pension statements. ^[5]
• Disability and veteran exemptions: a certificate from a Florida physician (Form DR-416, or DR-416B for blindness) or proof from the VA or Social Security. Quadriplegic and wheelchair/legally blind claims need a VA letter or certificates from two unrelated Florida physicians, and the wheelchair/blind claim also needs a statement of household gross income. Disabled veterans need a VA certificate or letter (Form 27-333 for total and permanent disability), and the combat-related discount also needs a DD-214. Widows and widowers need a death certificate. ^[1]

Do you need to re-file?

• No yearly re-filing for homestead: approved exemptions renew automatically as long as your eligibility doesn't change. Tell the Property Appraiser if your status changes. ^[7][13]
• If you buy a new home, you must apply again. Homestead doesn't transfer from your old home, but you may be able to port your Save Our Homes benefit (Form DR-501T). ^[13][1]
• Senior exemption: it renews automatically for most seniors, but you must report income changes, and the Property Appraiser audits files at random under Florida law. ^[5]
• Tax deferral must be re-filed every year. The installment plan renews automatically once you're enrolled. ^[15][14]

Appeal deadline

• To appeal an exemption denial or your assessed value, file a petition with the Pasco County Value Adjustment Board, run by the Clerk & Comptroller. Value petitions must be received by 5 p.m. on the 25th day after TRIM notices are mailed (the 2026 deadline was September 14, 2026). A homestead denial can be appealed within 30 days of the denial notice. Postmarks don't count; the petition must arrive on time. A late petition is only considered if you show good cause in writing. ^[9][19][20]
• Filing fee: $50 per parcel per year (non-refundable), $15 for a portability petition (DR-486PORT), and no more than $50 combined per parcel. Joint petitions are $50 plus $5 for each extra parcel. There's no fee for appealing a timely filed homestead application that was denied, for deployed military, for tax deferral denials, or for petitioners receiving TANF. Card payments add a 3.5% fee. ^[21][9]
• File online through the Clerk's VAB portal (when open) or in person at Board Records (East Pasco Government Center, 14236 6th St., Suite 201, Dade City) or Official Records (West Pasco Government Center, 8731 Citizens Dr., Suite 220, New Port Richey). VAB contact: (352) 521-4347, [email protected]. ^[9]
• Hearings are informal, held before special magistrates, and can be attended in person in Dade City or by Microsoft Teams (request an electronic hearing with Form DR-486RMT). You may use an attorney or agent. Exchange evidence with the Property Appraiser before the hearing (you must send yours at least 15 days before if you asked for theirs). If you don't appear, the petition is denied unless you submitted evidence and asked in writing for it to be considered. To go further, you can file in circuit court. ^{[19][22][9][20]}

Population: 659,114 (July 1, 2024 estimate) ^[23]

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