Florida homeowners are entitled to a variety of homestead exemptions on their primary property. The exemptions are deducted from the assessed value of the home, thus reducing the homeowners’s annual property tax bill.
The basic exemption can go as high as $50,000. However, there are additional exemptions that can further reduce assessed value. One of them is the widow/widower exemption, which can shave $5,000 off the asssed value of your home. This post explains how the widow/widower exemption works, the qualifications to get it, and how to file for it.
Widow/Widowers Exemption Has Increased
The widow/widower exemption, which you can take advantage of in addition to the basic exemption, can offer substantial tax savings. In the past, when the exemption was just $500, many homeowners found the savings too paltry to justify doing the paperwork to apply. For example, in Palm Beach County, where property tax is about 2%, the widow/widower exemption saved only about $10 a year.
Now, it is a different story: The exemption has increased to $5,000. Again using Palm Beach County as an example, this translates to an annual savings of $100, which can accumulate substantially over the years. For most people, the savings justify the time and effort it takes to apply. If you have not applied for the widow/widower exemption in the past, consider doing so this year.
Requirements for the Widow/Widower Exemption
- Your spouse must have been deceased by December 31 of the calendar year preceding the year you are applying for. Example: if you are applying for an exemption for 2025, your spouse must have passed away by December 31, 2024.
- You must be a permanent resident of Florida.
- Your homestead property must be your primary residence on Dec. 31 of the year preceding the year you are filing for. Example: If you are filing for the exemption in 2025, the property must have been your homestead on or before December 31, 2024.
- You must have been married to the deceased at the time of his/her death. If you were divorced prior to the death, you are considered an ex-spouse, not a widow.
- You must not have remarried.
- You must file for the widow/widowers homestead exemption by March 1 of the calendar year for which you are seeking the exemption.
How to File
Filing must be done through your local property appraiser’s office. You can find the address and contact information of your county property appraiser here.
You must submit Florida form CC-501 to apply for all exemptions, including the widow/widowers exemption. Find it here.
If this is the first time you are filing for a widow/widowers exemption, you will also need to furnish a copy of your late spouse’s death certificate.
Read more about all Florida homestead exemptions (Florida Statute 196.202).
