Lee County Florida Senior New Property Tax Break

Lee County, Florida Requirements for New Senior Tax Deduction:

1. 65 years of age

2. less than $27,590 in annual income

3. Own home for 25 years

This benefit is in additional to homestead, senior and widow exemptions already available.

NEILSON LAW, PA

Read the following story at www.news-press.com

Commissioners Tuesday passed a tax break for senior residents that could let some escape the property taxes Lee County’s levies altogether, Property Appraiser Ken Wilkinson said.

Homeowners 65 or older can cash in on the exemption provided they earn less than $27,590 a year and have owned the same house for 25 years, according to Wilkinson and state documents.

When combined with previous exemptions, some seniors could skip Lee County government’s tax bill in its entirety — if their home is worth less than $250,000, Wilkinson said.

“They wouldn’t pay any property taxes to the county,” Wilkinson said.

The exemption doesn’t apply to school taxes, Wilkinson said. Other authorities, including cities, will continue to collect taxes on properties in their jurisdictions.

Lawmakers passed the tax break, clearing the way for county commissions to adopt it, a year ago. It went into effect Nov. 6, 2012, according to county documents.

With just two days left until a statewide deadline on filing for a new exemption Thursday, Wilkinson said his office will go through records to identify eligible homeowners.

Those people, he said, will automatically receive the exemption. Wilkinson said he plans to break the good news in letters.

Homeowners have two months to apply for exemptions every year, but some wait until the final days, Wilkinson said.

Lee County government can expect to lose about $500,000 in revenue by offering the exemption, Assistant County Manager Pete Winton said.

Across the state, county governments will lose an estimated $9.1 million in tax revenue during fiscal year 2014-15, according to an analysis by the Legislature.